Stella Glow: Reincarnation
by Rogue Leader Solo
Summary: After his death at the Foundry, Revan is offered a second chance. His soul will be reincarnated as a young man. But there is a price for such a gift. He must now stand along side five Witches and fight against a corrupted God. Revan-is-Alto. Revan X Harem.
1. Chapter 1: An Old Soul is Given a New Ch

**Chapter 1: An Old Soul is Given a New Chance**

 _As his soul wandered through the great abyss, the man felt at peace. Finally, he could rest. He may have been killed by assassins sent by the Emperor, but it was all for naught. Those assassins had been sent to kill him and take control of his station for the Empire, but he'd had the last victory. Before they had even arrived, he'd sent the order out for the Republic to evacuate the station and leave only a skeleton crew. With the evacuees he'd sent the entirety of the station's library, including the specs for creating an army to protect the Republic; construction of ships, weapons, armor, and other vital pieces of information such as previously unknown sources of desperately needed resources. While he had been unable to kill the Emperor, he would at least insure that the new generation would be able to kill that abomination and its council. With the Emperor and the council dead, the Empire would tear itself apart as the various factions fought for control. At the very least the Republic would get some reprieve from the nonstop onslaught that it was under. But that was yet to come. His final triumph was denying the Empire the Foundry. The battle had been fierce; It had been one man against the Emperor's eight elite assassins. He might have fallen, but not before he'd killed six of his attackers and grievously injuring the last two before succumbing to his wounds. But even then, he still had the last laugh._

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 _ **Flashback:**_

 _The assassin looked around himself wincing in pain. The room was littered with the dead bodies and dismembered body parts of six of his seven comrades. He winced at the sight of his last living comrade that was trying to stand up, finding the task to be all but impossible, before collapsing. The other living assassin had lost his right arm and had a horrendous cut across his face that had destroyed his left eye. In addition to that he had an enormous and very deep diagonal cut across his chest. If the man was extremely lucky, he would survive and that was if he received medical attention ASAP from the troops that were securing the station behind them, but even then it was highly unlikely that he would survive the next five minutes. Hopefully they would get here in time. He himself had lost his left hand, had a stab wound through the left side of his chest that had been aimed at his heart. It would have been fatal had he not been able to move away at the last second. His right leg had a severe cut on it from when he had been a hair too slow to counter a surprise strike. In addition to his major injuries, dozens upon dozens of minor injuries covered his body. The pain was excruciating; he could barely stand, let alone continue to fight. Their opponent was incredibly still alive in spite of all the wounds that had been inflicted on him. The man had been nothing short of awe inspiring. Dressed in his iconic armor, armor that had terrified foes and inspired allies throughout the man's life. His technique had been flawless, constantly changing fighting styles to throw them off balance, every strike the man had made was nothing less than a killing stroke and the assassin knew that had the man been completely recovered from his time spent in torture and imprisonment, there would have been absolutely no chance that they would have won, much less deal those injuries to him. Their opponent was sitting on the floor against the console where he'd collapsed. Dozens of cuts littered the man's armor, many of them bleeding freely. The man's mask; an icon of who he was, a symbol of all the man's accomplishments, and testament to his power had not survived completely unscathed; a large vertical cut ran down the left side where one of the assassins had managed to surprise him was visible in the bright lighting of the command room, in spite of the now tattered hood that normally cast the mask into half shadows. The only telling sign of their opponent's continued life force was the sound of labored breathing escaping from the damaged mask. The assassin started to stagger over to his opponent to deal the deathblow as a small group of imperial troops entered the room most going to check the bodies, a pair of troops started administering what medical aid they could to the dying assassin lying on the floor, the rest covering the door to prevent any Republic troops from sneaking up on them._

 _The mask looked up at the approaching assassin. "Computer…," the man said in labored breaths, the mask distorting his voice, "initiate… Command… 13… Last… Resort." Even through the voice distortion, the assassin could hear the smirk in the man's voice._

 _The computer terminal the man was leaning against beeped before a computerized female voice issued from it. "Acknowledged. Command 13 initiated. Self-destruct sequence activated. Evacuation signal has been sent to all personnel. Communications jamming signal activated. Locking all computer terminals. Foundry will self-destruct in 10 minutes." Sparks danced across the terminal as the voice continued, "Terminals locked down. Data wipe commencing… terminal self-destruct acti- *_ _ **BZZT**_ _*" The computerized voice died as sparks exploded from the terminal's interface panels, showering the man that continued to lie against the terminal._

" _What… did… you do?" The assassin demanded fearfully, his own voice coming out in pants, partly from exhaustion, partly from his injuries as the terrified imperial troops fled the room as fast as they could move, leaving the now dead assassin on the floor._

" _I… will… never let… the empire… have this station." The man panted out. "I… would sooner… destroy it… than let… you have it." That damnable mask glared defiantly at the assassin. "It's too… late now!" The man's voice seemed to gain strength. "That self-destruct sequence… can't be stopped now. If… you run, you… might be able to escape. But I… doubt it." The man let out a few pained laughs. "You… failed!"_

" _DAMN YOU, YOU BASTARD!" The assassin shouted as he too fled the room, staggering as he ran, fear and adrenaline giving him the strength to run. The man's distorted, mocking laughter followed him as he ran._

 _The man's mocking laughter was cut off soon as a fit of coughs racked his body. The coughing fit lasted for several minutes until it finally subsided. A mechanical voice echoed in the room. "Self-destruct in T-minus 30 seconds."_

 _A tear slid down the man's face, hidden by his mask. "And so… in the end… as the darkness… takes me, I am… nothing. Now I know… how you felt… old friend." With a final sigh, the man closed his eyes, a small regretful smile on his face as explosions tore through the Foundry, setting off several chain reactions of explosions until finally, the power core detonated in an enormous explosion that caused the Foundry to disappear in a massive fireball that vaporized not only the Foundry, but everything within a 20-kilometer radius, destroying the fleeing Imperial Fleet that had been sent to capture it as well as a significant portion of the asteroid field that the Foundry was hidden in._

 _ **Flashback End**_

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 _The man sighed to himself. So this was what awaited him now that his life was over; to wander endlessly within the void. Well, things could have been a lot worse than this, he had after all committed many crimes in his life. Even though his goals and intentions were to protect people, he still had the blood of countless innocents on his hands. The people of at least one planet were dead because he hadn't seen his best friend descending into madness and had ordered the planet destroyed. The man had ordered it captured, but his best friend had been so far gone that he'd changed the orders and wiped out the entire planet: all sentient life killed, the entire planet's ecosystems destroyed, the planet was entirely devoid of any kind of life, all because he hadn't seen what should have been unmistakably obvious to him of all people. Even though he had eventually killed his ex-friend, nothing could be done to erase the stain on his soul from that planet's blood. It would forever stay with him. At least now he could rest before carrying on with his burden._

" _ **Maybe not.**_ _" The man whirled around to see the source of the voice. A figure, shrouded in twilight stood behind him, its facial features indistinct from recognition. However, even though its face could not be seen, its figure was definitely feminine. Against the white abyss of their surroundings, the man could easily see his new companion due to its twilight coloring; a mixture of white and black blended together in a murky grey. "_ _ **Hello, old friend.**_ _" The figure said as its mouth lifted into a gentle smile, its voice pure and musical, yet rough and dark at the same time._

" _Do I know you?" The man questioned, certain that he'd never met this particular individual in his life._

 _The figure laughed musically. "_ _ **I should say so. After all,**_ _" The figure again smiled at the man, "_ _ **I have been your constant companion throughout your life.**_ _"_

 _The man was startled, until the pieces fell into place. As he opened his mouth to name the figure, it cut him off. "_ _ **Yes, I am what you think I am. You and your teacher, before she descended into insanity, were right about my true nature. I am neither Light, nor Dark, but a murky Grey waiting to be heard. And you my dear friend heard me better than all.**_ _"_

 _The man felt weak. All he could do was stare at the figure until he found his voice. "My Lady." He said with a bow. "You honor me with your presence. Am I to assume that you are here to pass judgment upon me for my sins in life?"_

 _The figure laughed again. "_ _ **You need not bow to me old friend. Where most sought to subjugate me or use me as a scapegoat for their actions or lack thereof, you did not. You treated me as I desire: a companion to stand alongside of, a friend to ask questions of, and a fellow warrior to fight beside. You never once tried to subdue me or blame me for events that occurred beyond your control claiming that it was my will.**_ _" She walked forward and placed a hand on the man's shoulder._ _ **"No, you always placed the blame upon yourself and on those where it belonged, even at times when you had no way to control events, you still did everything you could to insure the best outcome even when it was impossible. You took responsibility for the actions of others.**_ _"_

" _Your words comfort me, milady." The man said. "But at the same time, I must say that I deserve to be blamed for what happened in all those instances."_

" _ **Oh?**_ _" The figure asked. "_ _ **And why would that be?**_ _"_

" _Because I was in charge of those men." The man said. "When they committed crimes, I was and am responsible for them. My teachings were not enough to prevent them from committing those crimes." The man shook his head. "I should have done more."_

" _ **No, my friend.**_ _" The figure shook its head. "_ _ **You did everything you could have, but those men and women were responsible for the choices they made in life. You might have taught them, and taught them well you did, but ultimately it is a being's choice as to what actions they commit. You were only their guide; it was their choice to stray from the path. Take responsibility for your own actions, but do not attempt to shoulder the burdens of the entire galaxy. Each being must shoulder their own choices and actions.**_ _"_

 _The man sighed. "You are right as always milady." A smile finally graced, the man's face. "Thank you milady, but may I ask why you are here?"_

 _The figure smiled again. "_ _ **I am here to offer you a reward for all that you have done.**_ _"_

 _The man cocked his head slightly. "What kind of reward?" He asked wearily._

" _ **Well it's more of a half reward, half a second chance.**_ _" The figure amended._

" _Oh?" The man asked._

" _ **I am offering you a chance to live again.**_ _" The figure held up its hands to stop any questions. "_ _ **But, you will not be born again in this dimension. And you will not take to body of an infant and be forced to deal with growing up again. Instead what I will do, should you accept is this; I will place your soul into the body of a young man who has developed two souls.**_ _"_

" _What? How is that possible?" The man asked in shock._

" _ **The young man, like you, fought against amazing odds with seven comrades against a being, referred to as a 'God', that was trying to wipe out the entire planets' population and had done so before.**_ _" The figure explained. "_ _ **The young man, was critically injured in their final battle six of his comrades managed to get him away while the seventh stayed behind giving his friend time to escape, but at the eternal cost of his sanity. The young man's six remaining comrades successfully escaped with his body to a forest. There one comrade sacrificed herself to place the young man in a healing coma that would last a thousand years. Another comrade chose to stop her clock as the Time Witch, and live on frozen in time so that she would be able to finish the job that the eight had started and left to wander the world. Another one also left to wander the world, her faith in humanity all but gone. The other three went their separate ways and settled down in different places, but four of the survivors vowed that their successors, or in the case of the one that froze her time, she herself, would be there to aid the young man in killing the so called 'God' when the young man woke up.**_ _" The figure ended her tale._

" _Very interesting." The man commented. "But what does that have to do with the young man having two souls?"_

" _ **The injury that the man sustained was due to a concentrated attack laced with the corruption of the planets emotions.**_ _" The figure explained. "_ _ **In other words, all of the negative emotions felt by the planets' inhabitants were absorbed by the so called 'God' and used as a weapon. The young man's original soul was damaged very severely and because of this, one of his comrades, who was both healer and fighter, sacrificed her soul to purify his. It worked, but not in the way she expected. Her sacrifice allowed a new, younger soul to be formed, one that was untouched by the corruption of 'God', but with the same powers as the original soul.**_ _"_

" _I see." The man said slowly. "But what does that have to do with me?"_

" _ **What I propose to do is this.**_ _" The figure explained. "_ _ **I will fuse your soul with that of the newly formed one as it has not yet truly taken shape yet, nor anything else aside from its powers at this point in time. Your soul will absorb the new soul's personality and powers and merge them with your own. You will then be free to act as you see fit. You will however take on the identity of the new soul and not your old one. All I ask is that when the time comes, and come it will, that you destroy the corruption of the 'God'.**_ _" The figure said. "_ _ **Two parts have broken off and formed personalities and souls of their own. One is innocent in nature and managed to escape, but the other was not so lucky, it was recaptured and corrupted, but not absorbed as it needs the other to complete itself. It is currently cut off from the planet, which the innocent one managed to escape to, but eventually the barrier between it and the planet will be destroyed. When that time comes you must be prepared to fight. But do not make the mistake of blaming the two newborn souls for the actions of the one they were born from."**_ _The figure seemed to glare at the man._

" _I won't make that mistake." The man promised. "But I must ask why you haven't done anything before now? Surely there must be some people who can hear your call."_

 _The figure smiled sadly. "_ _ **Unfortunately, there are only six people on that planet at any time that can wield my power naturally aside from the 'God'. Five have crystalized portions of my power within them, each granting the wielder the power to use different elements both in and outside of battle. One is power over Water, one is Wind, one is Fire, one is Earth, and the fifth is Time. Each wielder of those powers is female and thus are called Witches and their powers Magic and Song.**_ _" The figure explained._

" _And the sixth one?" The man asked._

 _The figure smiled gently. "_ _ **The sixth one is a control unit if you will. It allows the wielder to purify the others and insure that corruption cannot overtake them. It also allows the other five to unleash their true power. Its wielder is male and will be you for it is held within your new body.**_ _"_

 _The man turned away from his companion and thought about the offer, weighing the pros and cons of the two choices. He could on one hand decline the offer and remain here. The man inferred based upon his companion's actions that should he decline, he would remain here for eternity as penitence for the blood on his hands. On the other hand, he was being offered a new chance at life in a new place where he would have a fresh new start and all that would be required of him would be to destroy a corrupted being when it attacked the planet. From the description, this planet had no space technology and would most likely be rather primitive compared to what he was used to. But was that truly that bad? The man wondered, to not have to worry about an entire galaxy and instead be concerned with only one planet? To have a chance to live a new life free of his old one? No, it wouldn't really be so bad, the man concluded. Turning back to his companion, the man spoke. "I have decided to accept your offer milady."_

 _The figure smiled in joy. "_ _ **Wonderful! I'm so glad you did!**_ _" Light began gathering in the figure's hands. "_ _ **Now just close your eyes and when you wake up your new life shall begin.**_ _"_

 _The man nodded and closed his eyes as the figure placed its hands on his forehead and on his chest over his heart. As his consciousness faded, he heard the figure speak again. "_ _ **Good luck my old friend. Good luck… Revan.**_ _"_

10


	2. Chapter 2: A Hunt and a Birthday

**Chapter 2: A Hunt and a Birthday**

Alto leaned against a tree with a small smile on his face as he watched as his pseudo sister and best friend Lisette entertained the village children with a well-made hand-drawn picture book of the story of the Hero Elcrest and his quest to save humanity. Alto was a handsome young man of 17 years old with short-ish straight black hair, crystal blue eyes, pale skin, and stood at a respectable height of 5ft 11½ inches. He was clad in common villager attire consisting of shin high light brown boots, dark brown pants, a white shirt with sleeves ending at the elbows, and a sleeveless tan vest. Around his neck was a pendant with a blue gemstone that had been with him as long as he could remember, which wasn't very long.

Alto was not a native of the village, having been found by Lisette in the forest surrounding the village three years ago both unconscious and when he woke up, amnesiac. Lisette and her mother, Rosa, had taken him in and given him his new name. Despite some initial mistrust by the other villagers, Alto had earned their trust by becoming an asset to the village. He aided at the blacksmith's forge, helped out in the fields with the livestock, and took care of the villages children when needed. But he truly shined as a hunter. During his first year, a pack of wolves had been bold enough to go after a flock of sheep that Alto had been tending one day. Alto had seen the wolves and had managed to use his shepherd's crook and a tiny knife to kill eight of the nine wolves. By that time many of the villagers had come to see what all the commotion was. They stood in awe as the young 14-year-old fended of the Alpha of the pack before managing to thrust the straight end of the shepherd's crook through the wolf's throat as the wolf pounced. The sheep herding tool had been forced into the wolf's mouth and down into its chest cavity where it ruptured the beast's stomach. Held in place and fatally injured, the wolf could do nothing but whimper in pain as the young teen used his knife to put it out of its misery. The next day, Alto had been asked to join the villager's hunters and had proven himself as an experienced tracker and hunter when he led the group to a glade where a herd of deer had been grazing. Alto had also managed to kill another wolf pack that had tried to attack the hunting party that night as they made their way back to the village. This had cemented Alto's acceptance in the village. He no longer worked in the fields with livestock, but he did still help out in the blacksmith's forge when he wasn't hunting or helping Lisette look after the children like he was today until he would go out hunting to get some more meat for Rosa. He smiled again as he heard Lisette coming to the end of the story.

Lisette was a beautiful 17-year-old girl with emerald green eyes and red-orange hair that fell to her shoulders. She stood at 5ft 10in and was considered the prettiest girl in the village with soft features and delicate pale skin and large C-cup breasts. She also wore villager's garments, although hers consisted of knee-high white stockings, knee-high red-brown boots, a short white skirt, a white blouse with long wide sleeves, and a short green vest with short sleeves ending halfway between shoulder and elbow. Lisette was kindhearted to all and was always willing to lend a hand to any who asked for her help. She had a talent for making picture books, embroidery, and sewing. She was also a good cook, but no matter what she cooked, it always and without fail, came out purple. No one could figure out how it happened, but Lisette's food always ended up purple. Although the color didn't seem to have any effect on the taste, it was still quite odd. She enjoyed spending time with the village children and entertained them by telling them stories with picture books, like she was now.

As Lisette's tale wound down, Alto picked up his sword and strapped it on his waist so that the hilt was behind his right hand allowing him to draw it quickly in a reverse style grip. This allowed Alto to defend himself with ease before altering his grip to a normal one. His blade was a simple one in design of a standard sword with a simple crossbar guard. Alto turned and headed out of the village, knowing that Lisette would bring the children back home. Normally he would have helped her, but today he needed to get some meat before it got too dark and only a fool hunted in the forest at night, even in a group it was foolhardy to try and hunt in the wolves' domain at the time when they had the advantage of being able to see in the dark.

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 **Mithra Forest…**

As Alto walked through the woods, He reflected on his new life. While he might no longer remember who he originally had been, he had Revan's memories and powers. He mostly tried to forget the memories, believing that they shouldn't hold him back. He had a new life in a new dimension. There was no need to stay in the past. And besides, even if he did tell people about how he came to be in this dimension, nobody would believe him. He would never forget his old comrades but nor would he drown himself in memories.

He did however, practice his old powers and abilities when alone on a hunt. Using the Force to enhance his physical abilities was especially useful. Using the Force to sense where animals and people are, was a very useful skill, especially when tracking deer and wolf. And choking the life out of a wolf was an excellent way to ensure that the pelt was not damaged, as an intact wolf pelt was worth a good sum of money to the traders that stopped in Mithra twice a year in the spring and in the fall. But he made sure to only use visible Force abilities when he was alone. If people saw him using such powers, he would most likely be shunned and ostracized as it was well known that only Witches could use Magic. But alone in the forest, he could be himself.

But for some reason, his Force abilities felt weaker, diluted, as if coming from far away. He suspected that it was due to his new body's powers being sealed for the thousand years that it had been in stasis. But he suspected that they would return in time. Nothing he could do about it for the moment. And at the moment he was in the forest. He greatly enjoyed walking in the forest either hunting or exploring, even in his past life as Revan. He had always felt more at home on planets such as Kashyyyk rather than such places as Coruscant, in spite of spending most of his life surrounded by technology. Perhaps that was the reason he enjoyed being on this planet so much. A distinct lack of space technology. The only thing he really missed was having a lightsaber. Perhaps in the future he could find a way to construct a new one; one that would symbolize his new life as Alto.

He shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on the here and now. Daydreaming in the forest, especially this deep was dangerous at best. Soon he came to a river where the tree cover was pushed back from the banks and the water flowed slowly, forming a natural watering hole for the creatures of the forest. A few large rocks lay half submerged in the river and a pair of trees had fallen across the narrowest part of the river, forming a pseudo-bridge only wide enough for one person to cross at a time

"Seems like this might be a good spot…" Alto mused looking around. Suddenly a pack of 4 wolves jumped out of the underbrush on the other side of the river. Snarling and growling they eyed the teen.

Alto smirked at his good fortune. "Jackpot." Sizing up his intended prey, Alto mused to himself. "Today is a special day, so I can't afford to let you escape."

"Altooo!" A familiar voice called out as its owner came up behind him.

Alto turned to the speaker in surprise. "L-Lisette?! What are you doing out here? It's not safe for you!"

Lisette glared at Alto, putting her fists on her hips as she did so. "It's not safe for you to go this deep in the woods by yourse-"

Lisette was cut off by a furious snarl and growl from the Alpha of the pack.

Lisette turned with a furious expression on her face, ready to reprimand whoever was responsible for interrupting her. Her face went from furious to terrified in the blink of an eye as she let out a scream of fear and backed up as the pack started to advance across the tree bridge in single file with the Alpha bringing up the rear.

Alto sighed. "Not exactly the best situation, but oh well." He drew his sword and strode forward. "Stay behind me, Lisette!" The lead wolf snarled as it reached the halfway point of the bridge. Alto stepped onto the bridge and waited until the wolf was within range.

Lisette let out another scream as the wolf leaped at Alto, fangs and claws bared, ready to tear out the teen's throat. With a casual movement, Alto had stopped the wolf mid-pounce by stepping forward and stabbing his sword through the wolf's mouth, spearing its brain. Alto swung his sword, with the wolf still on it and sent the dead wolf flying onto the river bank near Lisette, who quickly backpedaled in fear. Unknown to Lisette, Alto was channeling the Force through his limbs enhancing his reflexes and increasing his strength many times beyond what a normal human his age should have.

Lisette shouted out. "Alto, look out! The wolf's right behind you!"

But she needn't have worried as Alto hadn't stopped turning and had already sunk his blade deeply into the second wolf's side, piercing its heart before it could sink its fangs into him. This time Alto just left the wolf carcass lying on the bridge and jumped back onto the river bank, giving him more room. The third wolf leaped over the carcass of its pack mates and charged at the teen. Alto smirked and ran forward, dodging to the side at the last minute, pivoting to face the wolf that was passing him, and slashed down, separating the wolf's head from its body. The Alpha let out an enraged howl and pounced. Alto leaped to the side and sliced the Alpha as it passed him, all but severing a fore paw. The wolf let out another howl, this time one of pain and sheer agony, as it landed and collapsed from the pain as blood poured out of the almost completely severed limb. Before the beast could even contemplate escaping, Alto had plunged his blade into the Alpha wolf's neck, killing it instantly.

From Lisette's point of view, Alto appeared to have moved in a blur of movement. She had been unable to keep track of her friend/adopted brother's movement due to him moving so fast. Alto immediately set to work removing large chunks of meat from the carcasses and placing it into a large sack that he had been carrying. Lisette walked over and began to help him, still hyperventilating from the experience. In a matter of minutes, they had finished the task.

Smiling, Alto stood up. "Look at all this meat!" He displayed the full sack to Lisette.

Said girl had finally managed to catch her breath and sighed. "…That could have gone really badly."

Alto smiled at her. "Thanks for coming. You were a great help with the cleaning."

Lisette turned to Alto. "Sure, but… do you always come this deep in the forest to hunt?"

Alto shook his head. "No, not usually. But today is special."

Lisette looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Alto only smiled at her forgetfulness. "Let's hurry home. Everyone in the village gets a bite too." He turned and set off back the way he had come.

"…Huh!?" Lisette was startled by Alto's lack of answer. "H-Hey, wait for me!" She ran to catch up to her friend/adopted brother.

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 **Village of Mithra…**

Soon the two had reached the village of Mithra. Walking through the gate, they spotted the leader of the village, Mayor Bogen.

Lisette smiled and waved to the elderly man. "Hello, Mayer Bogen!"

Mayor Bogen was a short, slightly plump, aged man of 50 years old and his short-cropped hair was just starting to turn grey, as was his moustache. He wore short brown boots, black pants, a purple sash acted as a belt. He had a brown tunic over which he wore the royal purple robes of his station, the inside of which was lined with sheepskin. On his head, he wore a small red cap. Spotting the two teens he walked over smiling. Noticing the pack that Alto was carrying on his back he chuckled. "My, you're carrying a lot. Looks like your hunt went well."

Alto nodded. "Yes, it was quite the haul. Here this is for you." Alto took out a portion of the meat and held it out to the mayor.

The mayor accepted it with a large smile. "Ah, what blessings from the forest. We must give thanks to the hero Elc."

A young woman walked up. "Great! The inn was just running out of jerky!" Alto handed her a larger portion of meat. The young woman was the innkeeper of the village, by the name of Hanna. She wore tall dark brown boots, a long black dress, and a white apron over it. She had he long light blond hair tied up with a white handkerchief to keep it from getting in her eyes. "Thanks, Alto!"

Another villager came up. He was Alto and Lisette's next door neighbor Otto. He wore tan pants, black boots, a white tunic, and a short sleeved green vest. He inspected the amount of meat Alto was carrying. "You got all this by yourself? Impressive."

Alto waved off the praise. "I just got lucky today."

Hanna had a sheepish look on her face. "I had advised against it when Rosa took you in three years ago but…" A smirk appeared on her face. "We should've kept you if we knew you'd become such a fine hunter."

Otto laughed. "No doubt about that!" He grinned. "How 'bout it, Alto? You should marry my daughter Mina!"

Alto recoiled in horror. "Come on! Mina is EIGHT!"

Lisette smirked. "I don't think you're good enough for Mina."

Alto turned to her and cocked an eyebrow. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Lisette's smirk didn't falter for a second. "Who knows?"

Alto smirked as well. "So if I'm not good enough for Mina, I should settle for you?"

Lisette's face went red as she sputtered. "W-W-WHAT!?"

Bogen, Hanna, and Otto chuckled at the byplay between the two before Bogen commented. "Why don't we let these two head home? Rosa must be waiting."

Alto and Lisette, who had managed to calm down from her embarrassment, both nodded and said goodbye to the three before heading back to their home where Lisette's mother, Rosa, was waiting.

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 **Lisette's House…**

The two entered the house where they lived. "We're home!" Alto called out.

Rosa, the mother of Lisette, came out of the kitchen. "Welcome back. Ah, so Lisette was with you as well."

Rosa was a lovely young woman with reddish-orange hair that reached down to her back, and purple eyes. She had a flower shaped hair clip in her hair and wore a house-dress which consisted of long white sleeves with two blue bows on each of them, the body section was brown and was tied by wrapping strings around the buttons, and the lower part of her dress was white and extended to her ankles.

Lisette walked forward, a scowl on her face. "Listen to this, Mom! Alto went too far into the forest to hunt and-"

Rosa cut her off gently. "Alto's a boy, dear. He should be allowed to do that sometimes." A large smile graced her lips. "Besides, today is a special day."

Lisette looked confused for a moment before comprehension dawned on her. "Special? Do you mean…"

Alto stepped forward. "It's your birthday, you know?" Lisette turned to him as he continued. "So, we wanted to hold a feast for tonight."

Lisette blushed. "Wow… You remembered…"

Alto smiled. "So, what do you think?"

Lisette smiled. "…Thanks."

Alto's smile widened. "You're welcome."

"B-But still! You shouldn't go so deep into the forest." Lisette scolded, trying not to blush. "If something happened to you, I-" She trailed off.

Alto quirked an eyebrow. "Uh-huh?"

Lisette scowled "I couldn't sleep at night."

' _Huh?_ ' Alto adopted a confused expression. "What does that even mean?" ' _is she talking about…?_ '

Rosa chuckled behind her hand. "Well, we're having a feast, aren't we? Go rest up until it's ready."

Alto nodded as he placed the sack of meat in the kitchen and headed up to his room to meditate and rest until the feast. It was something he did every night to calm himself and try and reestablish his deeper connection to the Force. It was considered odd by Lisette and many in the village, but they brushed it off thinking that it was just one of Alto's quirks. Alto had tried to explain the concept, but the people of the village didn't seem to understand why sitting motionless for hours on end was considered good for your health and mind. Alto focused inward and slipped into the void of meditation.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A few hours later…**

Alto stirred at the sound of Rosa calling from the dining room. "Kids! It's time for the feast!"

Alto stood up to head down to the feast celebrating Lisette's 17th birthday.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The two teens sat down as Rosa entered carrying the last dish. "Here you are." She said as she placed it on the table with the rest of the feast. "The main dish tonight is steak. It's cooked rare, just how you like it."

Lisette's eyes lit up in joy. "Wow- It smells sooo good!"

Rosa surveyed her work. "I think we have everything ready." She sat down and folded her hands together in prayer. "Now, let's give our thanks to the hero Elc for this meal."

Alto however hadn't heard Rosa. "Great, I'm so hungry I could-" He spotted something that was out of the ordinary on the table. A pot of _purple_ stew. "Um… Huh."

Lisette's face went redder than an apple. "…"

"Lisette…" Alto said slowly. "You're the one who made this stew, right?"

"It's apparent, isn't it?" Lisette mumbled. "Really, really apparent…"

Alto shook his head in exasperation. "I wonder why everything you make turns out purple."

Rosa looked at the dish with concern. "She should be making it exactly how I taught her though…"

"And I thought I'd get it right for sure today…" Lisette moaned.

Alto patted her on the shoulder. "Well, it's alright. Looks aside, your cooking tastes fine."

Lisette looked up hopefully. "Really?"

Alto nodded, with a small smile. "Of course!"

Lisette perked up. "Well, Have seconds and thirds then!"

Alto shook his head fondly. "Well, let's dig in!" Rosa and Lisette both smiled widely and the three began their feast.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Three Hours Later…**

Alto stretched as he stood up from his bed. "Wheew. I'm stuffed. I don't even want to look at a steak for a while…" He looked up thoughtfully. "I think I'll swing by Lisette's room and-" A knock on his door interrupted him and Lisette's voice came from the other side.

"Alto. You awake?"

"Yeah, I am. Come on in." Alto replied.

Lisette came into the room with a shy expression on her face that made her look quite cute to Alto. "I don't think I thanked you properly for today."

Alto waved her thanks off. "No need. We're family. It's only natural to do such things, right?"

"I know that!" Lisette retorted. "But still, let me say it." She took a breath. "Thank you, Alto."

Alto smiled at his pseudo sister. "You're very welcome." He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Anyway, I was just on my way to see you."

Lisette looked confused. "What about?"

"I was going to say happy birthday." Alto replied. "And I wanted you to have this." Alto held out his hand. Laying on his palm was the blue gemstone pendant that he had always worn.

Lisette gazed at it. "This pendant…"

Alto nodded. "It's the one I had on me when you found me Lisette." He looked sheepish. "This is the only thing I have that I can give you."

Lisette shook her head. "No… I can't accept this."

Alto sighed. "Sorry… Not your taste, huh?"

Lisette shook her head rapidly. "It's not that! This is the only clue you have to finding out who you are right?"

Alto shook his head. "It's all the more reason for you to keep it. You accepted me as family three years ago when I had no memories. And you gave me my name." a smile touched Alto's face. "That is precious to me. I don't think I can repay you, or Miss Rosa." He held out the pendant again. "So… I no longer have a need for this." ' _Not to mention that it is practically screaming at me through the Force to give it to her._ '

Lisette looked even more confused. "What do you mean you don't need it?"

Alto looked her in the eye. "This village is my home now. And you and Miss Rosa are my family." Alto shook his head. "That won't change, even if my memories do return. I don't miss them. That's why I want you to have this." Alto held the pendant out again. He felt sorry for deceiving Lisette, but had he told her the real reason that he was giving her the pendant… well it wasn't likely that it would go over well. And what he was saying was the truth, from a certain point of view. He didn't miss his memories as Elcrest, they would return in their own time. The pendant wasn't likely to accelerate the process and if it did, then he was sure that Lisette would gladly help him.

"I see…" Lisette said slowly.

"So…" Alto pressed. "Will you accept it?"

Lisette smiled. "Of course! I'll treasure it." So saying she took the pendant and placed it on her neck.

Alto gave a low whistle. "Whoa! It looks nice on you."

Lisette giggled. "Thanks!" She then smiled at him. "Today was the best birthday ever. Thanks, Alto."

Alto smiled. "Good night, Lisette. See you tomorrow."

Lisette nodded and said good night as she headed back to her own room, closing the door softly behind her, while Alto lay down and passed into the land of dreams.

13


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting the Witch of Destruct

**Chapter 3: Meeting the Witch of Destruction and Revealing the Water Witch**

Alto awoke early to a strange sound, one that he had only heard before as Revan; the sound of singing. "Nnn…" Alto stirred. "…What's that sound?" It was a rather beautiful melody, yet it sounded almost sad or remorseful. "Is that someone's voice? Is someone singing?" Alto hurriedly put on his clothes and headed outside. The sound was slightly louder outside, yet no one else from the village had awoken. "Hmm… It's definitely human…" ' _Strange… why would a Witch come to a remote village like this? And why has no one else heard it yet?_ ' "…and coming from… the forest, huh?" Alto headed into the forest in search of the singer. Entering the forest, Alto stretched out with the Force to aid him locating the singer. He pinpointed the location almost immediately. The Witch was making no effort to hide her presence.

"It's this way…" Alto murmured as he set out to a very familiar place. The fresh water lake where Lisette had found him unconscious.

Alto soon came to the forest lake. It was a small lake and surrounded by tall, thick, and ancient trees and dotted with many small mounds upon which trees and other plant life grew but no plant life touched the water of the lake. One might expect that such conditions might have turned a lake into a swamp or marsh, but not this one. The waters were crystal clear and no insect life was present in this lake. The villagers of Mithra considered this lake to be blessed by the hero Elc. But whether or not that was true was up for debate. Sunlight shone through the canopy in patches, and the morning's mist was beginning to dissipate, adding to the mysteriousness of the haunting song.

Alto looked around, trying to spot the source of the voice. "The voice is close… but who is-" He stopped as he saw the person singing.

It was what appeared to be a young girl. She had very long silver hair that reached just below her butt and hypnotic golden eyes. Her attire consisted of a large black witch hat, with a sort of silver crown motif on it with a large, silver, stylized infinity symbol charm on the end. She was wearing a cape that splits at the ends. She wore purple armor on her arms and a revealing outfit that made Alto blush. On her legs, she wore tall black boots with dull white highlights and skin colored thigh-length stockings. Her bottoms consisted only of a small string bikini bottom. And her torso attire wasn't much better. It covered her sides, but left the entirety of her front exposed, just _barely_ covering her small A-Cup breasts. All of her outfit was colored black with dull white edges, save for the hat. She had very fair skin, and none of it tanned. Her voice was quite lovely as she sang. She sat on one of the banks singing.

"So you're the one…" Alto murmured as he watched.

The girl must have either seen or heard him, because she ended her song. "Who are you? She asked as she stood up. She was half a head shorter than Alto, standing at 5ft 8in. "You…" She trailed off as she saw him, a curious look of recognition on her face.

' _Interesting… She must be the Witch who froze herself in time. But it might be better to play ignorant for now._ ' Alto mused. Aloud he simply asked a question. "Hey, what was that? I've never heard such a nice sound before."

"Answer my question first." The girl replied, her voice never really changing from a slight monotone, nothing like the lovely voice of her singing. "Who are you?"

' _Well, it would be impolite not to introduce myself._ ' "I'm Alto. I'm from the village of Mithra." Alto introduced himself.

"Alto, hm? Strange name." The girl commented.

Alto quirked an eyebrow. "That's a little rude to someone you just-"

He was cut off by the girl. "That was a Song."

"Huh?" Alto was a little thrown off by her abrupt change in topic.

"I was answering your question."

"A Song? Like one you can sing?" Alto asked, still playing dumb. "But if you can sing, then who-"

"Hilda. That is my name." The girl said as an introduction.

"Hilda…" Alto tried the name out. "If you don't mind… would you sing that song again?"

Hilda's eyes widened at the request. "You want an encore?"

Alto nodded. "Yeah. No one around here can sing. It was really beautiful."

Hilda's eyes narrowed. "You don't know anything, do you?"

Alto quirked his eyebrow again. "What do you mean?"

Hilda's eyes grew slightly sad, only someone trained in the art of face reading could have seen it, but Revan had mastered such training in his previous life. "Long ago, god took away song as punishment for mankind's arrogance." She explained. "Only supernatural beings can sing now. Witches." Her eyes returned to Alto. "Even children know this."

Alto nodded. "Oh yeah. Lisette told me about that." He looked at Hilda more closely. "So does that mean…?"

"…" Hilda didn't respond.

"So… you're a Witch?"

Hilda shrugged. "Who can say?"

' _Oh I like her!_ ' Alto thought to himself with an unseen grin. ' _Someone who can actually perform a verbal spar._ '

Hilda glanced at the foliage to her left, Alto's right. "By the way, I think you should run."

Alto didn't even glance to the side, having both heard and sensed the creatures' approach. "If you are referring to those strange creatures, I wouldn't worry. I doubt they're strong enough to pose a challenge to the two of us."

Hilda looked back at him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean?"

Alto smirked as he drew his sword. "Several things; One: they are moving too loudly, any hunter with even mediocre ability would have heard them. Two: I happen to be the best swordsman and Hunter in Mithra. Three: You have good muscle tone, meaning that you have at least some training in fighting. Four: Your scythe." He indicated the weapon Hilda had picked up from where it leaned against a nearby tree. "Only a fool picks up a weapon they have no familiarity with, especially one as difficult to wield as a scythe. Our conversation tells me you are no fool, so I must conclude that you know how to use it. And finally Five: you tensed up as soon as you heard them moving, but relaxed once you determined they were not a threat." Alto finished with a smug grin.

Hilda looked startled for a moment, but narrowed her eyes in suspicion again. "You're very observant."

Alto saw through her ploy. "If a hunter isn't observant, he doesn't eat. Now Hilda, I think we should deal with our uninvited guests." So saying, Alto turned to face the intruders as he drew his sword.

There were six intruders in total. And all were identical and very strange. They looked like large living blobs of green slime. Two large red eyes were present on each one. Indicating a sort of face, but the creatures had no mouths or noses. Two long tentacle like protrusions extended from the top of the "head" and ended in small three pronged claws.

Alto quirked an eyebrow. "Never seen beasts like that before." He remarked casually.

That's because they're not beasts." Hilda said, readying her scythe. "They're monsters."

"Monsters, hmm." Alto said before glancing at Hilda. "I take the three on the right, you take the left?"

Hilda eyed the monsters. "Agreed." She said.

Alto smirked as the monsters advanced. "Then shall we?" He asked before he charged at the three on the right. Hila doing the same to the three on the left.

Alto rushed at the three slime creatures. All three formed balls of slime from their bodies into their hands and launched them at him. Alto dodged the six incoming projectiles by using the Force to grant him a higher and longer jump than normal, and twisted in the air so that he landed horizontally on a thick tree trunk behind the three slime creatures. Using the tree trunk like a spring board, Alto launched himself at the three creatures, killing one by skewering it on his blade. Alto didn't stop as he dispatched the two remaining ones with quick sword strokes, dodging the last monster's attempt to skewer him by morphing part of its body into sharp spikes as he got close. Alto finished off his last opponent and turned to see four new ones surround Hilda as she dispatched the last of her original opponents by sending a ball of black energy tinged with white at it which exploded on impact.

"LOOK OUT!" He yelled as he ran to assist her.

He needn't have bothered as she simply spun in a circle, slicing all of her opponents with her scythe simultaneously. All four slime creatures dropped dead.

Hilda looked around to see if there were any more. Alto did the same, but he also stretched out with the Force. Finding no enemies, both sighed and put away their respective weapons. "It's finally over." Hilda stated.

"So you sing and can use magic…" Alto remarked. "You really are a Witch, huh?"

"…" Hilda didn't reply.

Both were surprised as a voice rang out. "Altooo!"

Lisette came out of the trees to stand next to Alto, not noticing Hilda yet. A frown of exasperation was on her face. "Geez, tell me if you're going for a walk. I looked all over for you." Lisette finally noticed Hilda staring at her. "Wait… Who's this girl?"

"Oh, we just met." Alto explained. "Her name is-"

Hilda cut him off. "Leave your village."

"Huh?" Alto asked.

Hilda's expression didn't change. "I'll say it again. Leave your village immediately." She turned around. "I will say no more." She started to walk off.

"W-Wait!" Lisette called out. Hilda stopped and looked back as she continued. "Mithra's a really nice place." Lisette smiled softly. "The water and food are good, everyone's so nice… It's not as big as other villages, but it's busy during festivals!" A larger smile was on her face now. "You should stay over sometime. I know you'll just love it."

Hilda turned back to the two, her eyes were closed in annoyance. "You're not listening. I warned you." Alto's eyes narrowed as hers opened. "It's up to you whether or not you heed my words." She moved off again.

"Hey, wait!" Alto called out. "Where are you going?"

"Goodbye." Was Hilda's only answer as she vanished into the depths of the forest, disappearing behind a tree. Alto sensed her teleport without a sound when she was out of sight.

Lisette looked at where Hilda had vanished. "She just left us…" She turned to Alto. "Why did she tell us to leave?"

"…" Alto didn't answer, continuing to stare at the tree Hilda had teleported behind, trying to sense her whereabouts. But it was no good, either she was beyond the range of his diminished abilities or she was cloaking herself.

"She's not from around here, is she?" Lisette asked. "Are her clothes popular these days?" She wondered.

Alto was about to respond when he felt a small pulse of power from the pendant around Lisette's neck. ' _What the? Has the pendant given her power so soon?!_ ' Alto managed to keep his reaction off his face through sheer willpower. ' _I didn't expect it to happen this fast!_ ' Feeling slightly foolish, Alto asked a question. "Say, Lisette… can you sing?"

Lisette laughed. "What? Don't be silly Alto. Didn't we learn in school that people can't sing songs?"

Alto sighed, Lisette hadn't felt the pulse. "Yeah, we sure did."

Lisette smiled. "Shall we go home?"

"Yeah…" Alto couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen… something bad.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Alto and Lisette reached the village, it was in an uproar. Many villagers looked scared and were talking to each other. None of the children were in sight. Alto heard one villager call out. "The town hall is off-limits! Don't let the children outside!"

Another called out. "Don't use the well, either! Boil our stock of rainwater if you need it!"

"What's all the commotion?" Alto wondered.

Lisette gasped. "Over there!"

The two hurried over to where the crowd had gathered at The town hall. Alto stopped at the sight before him. "Wh-What is-"

Lisette gasped again and covered her mouth with her hands in both shock and horror. "Oh my…"

The sight was startling. A crystal statue stood in the doorway of the town hall. The crystal was blue in color and seemed to grow out of the ground wildly. Some were straight and in a general crystal shape, but most were curved and twisted in a way that no crystal was found naturally. But even that could not hide the fact that one could easily make out that fact that the statue looked exactly like Otto. His skin was crystal and had more crystal sprouting from it. Oddly, his facial expression showed not fear, but surprise, as if whatever had done this had not been done by something threatening, but had merely caught him off guard.

Mayor Bogen's voice rang out sharply. "Lisette! Alto! We told you this place was off-limits!"

"What's going on, Mayor Bogen!?" Lisette asked. "It looks like someone's trapped inside stone!"

"Last night, Otto went on a hunt and didn't come back." Bogen replied grimly. "We formed a search party and found him in the north forest…"

Lisette gasped. "So this… is Mr. Otto?"

Bogen nodded still grim. "It's just as it looks. We don't even know if he's alive in there."

As he was talking, Alto stretched out with the Force. ' _Hmm, he's alive. But it's almost like he's… frozen… somehow? Curious… I feel his life-force. But nothing else as if time has… stopped…_ ' Alto's thoughts trailed off. He remembered the information he had been given before his soul had fused with Elcrest's to become Alto. One of the Witches had frozen herself in time! ' _Is this what she did to survive? Or did she do something else? Either way Hilda is the most likely suspect at the moment. But if it was her, why is the question? What possible reason could she have for doing this?_ ' He chose to listen further to Bogen

"Is it a plague, or some curse? Maybe the north forest is to blame?"

"Mr. Otto…" Lisette said sadly before perking up. "I've got it!" All the villagers looked at her. "What if we smashed this stone with an axe!?"

Bogen shook his head in the negative. "We already tried. No blade or axe can break this stone."

Alto spoke up, examining the crystal. "Have you tried heating it, then rapidly cooling it? It works on smaller rocks, so why not this one?"

Bogen shook his head. "Our forge isn't hot enough to do that. I'll let you know when we decide what to do." He glared sternly at the two to reinforce his next words. "Go home to Rosa. And don't leave until we give permission."

Alto was frustrated at being told that he couldn't do anything. "But-"

Bogen cut him off sharply. "Alto! These are your mayor's orders."

"Sorry." Alto muttered. "But if there's anything I can do…"

Bogen nodded. "I'll be sure to call you. You're the best hunter and tracker here, after all." The mayor turned to Lisette. "Look after him, Lisette."

' _Translation: Make sure he doesn't sneak out._ ' Alto thought with a mental groan.

Lisette nodded. "I will." The mayor nodded, turned away, and walked off. Lisette looked at Alto. "I'm sure the mayor will have everything figured out." She tried to sound hopeful.

Alto gazed at the crystalized form of Otto. "I hope so…" He murmured. ' _But I doubt that he will know how to deal with something like this. I doubt anyone or anything does except the being responsible for it in the first place._ '

Lisette nodded. "At any rate, shall we go home? I'm sure mom is worried."

"…Yeah." Alto finally tore his gaze from the statue.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As they entered the house, Rosa was there to meet them… with a scolding look on her face. "Where were the both of you!? I was so worried!" Tears gathered in her eyes. "I thought maybe you'd been hurt or worse… like Otto…"

Lisette looked at her feet. "We're sorry…"

Alto on the other hand had something else to say. "Our neighbor Mina's probably crying." He could feel the sadness and confusion from the next door neighbors through the Force. "And her brother was just born, too…" He practically growled the last part in frustration.

Rosa and Lisette looked at him. "There isn't anything you can do right now." Rosa said.

"I know that, damn it!" Alto snarled, slamming his fist down on the table, before slumping into a chair. "But… it isn't fair." He stood up and walked for the door. "I'm heading for the north forest." ' _There might be clues there, especially if the trail is still hot._ '

Rosa cut him off from the door. A stern expression on her face. "I forbid it, Alto."

"Miss Rosa…"

"You're too sensitive to other people's suffering." Rosa said sternly. "It's great that you can sympathize, but as your family, it worries me." A forlorn look appeared on her face. "You mustn't take it all in; that pain would control you otherwise."

"…" Alto looked away. The Force made him a natural empath, as did Elcrest's original soul. It was hard to ignore.

Lisette tried to break the tension. "Mom, Alto!" Both turned to her. "Let's eat!"

Alto was thrown of balance. "Wh-where'd that come from?"

Lisette smiled. "I feel like we'd lose to this negativity if we mope around. Since we can't leave the house, let's at least be happy in it."

Rosa chuckled. "You're right! That's it for this matter, then!" Alto frowned at the loss of opportunity to investigate, but hid it swiftly as Rosa turned to him. "Alto, you help too!"

Lisette nodded. "Those who don't work don't eat! You can peel the potatoes." At Alto's incredulous look, she smiled wider. "I'll be making potatoes au gratin."

Alto cocked an eyebrow. "Purple ones, right?" His voice slightly teasing.

Lisette did not appreciate the jab. "Rgh…!" A scowl on her face, she turned up her nose. "I don't make food for meanies!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Later That Night**

Alto finished packing his gear as an owl hooted in the distance and the crickets chirped. "…That should do it." He grimaced. "I'll have to apologize to Lisette later." He was startled as his bedroom door opened.

"Apologize to whom about what?" She glared at him.

"Ack!" Alto stuttered and turned around.

Lisette closed the door behind her. "And just where are you going so late at night?" Her glare increased.

"I-I'm just going out for some fresh air…" Alto tried to bluff quickly standing in front of his pack to hide it, but Lisette wasn't buying it.

"Wearing all that exploration gear? When you were told not to go out?"

"Haha… ha…" Alto laughed nervously. His Force abilities were still too weak to use a Mind Trick on someone as strong willed as Lisette.

Lisette groaned. "You always act on impulse when it's about helping other people." Alto winced. It was a habit he was trying to curb. Lisette continued. "It's both the good and bad thing about you."

Alto shrugged. "I can't just sit around here."

"I know how you feel, but let's leave it to the mayor and his staff." Lisette pleaded. "If he feels he needs your help, he'll tell you. Your trip will be for nothing if you become too exhausted to help him."

"But-" Alto spoke up, but was cut off.

"Alto." Lisette glared.

Alto sighed, knowing that if he tried arguing further, Lisette would wake Rosa up, and then he would really be in trouble. Rosa could be scarier than a rampaging krayt dragon when she wanted to be. "All right, I give up."

Lisette smiled. "Good."

"You can head back to your room already."

Lisette's glare was back full force. "No. I don't trust you, so I'm bunking with you tonight."

"Huh!? No, it's fine, I-" ' _Kriff it! She's too damn sharp!_ '

Lisette pushed Alto onto the bed and crawled under the covers. "Scoot over."

Alto sighed. "Don't I have any rights?" He asked as he started to make room for Lisette.

"You say something?" Lisette asked.

Alto recognized the danger lacing her tone. "Nothing. At all." He slipped under the covers as Lisette blew out the lantern. Pale moonlight filtered in through the window, casting darker shadows in the dark room.

After a few minutes, Lisette spoke up. "Do you remember the last time we slept next to each other?"

Alto nodded. "The summer festival two years ago, I think. I ate way too much." That had not been fun. "I knocked out that night, and you got mad at me the next morning."

"I remember." Lisette was quiet for a few moments. "Hey, Alto… wanna hold hands?"

"Wh-Why are you asking?"

"Well, the night of the festival, we slept holding hands, didn't we?" Alto could hear the happiness in Lisette's voice. "I just remembered that…"

Alto didn't remember that, but his upset stomach had his mind on it rather than everything else that night. "Did that happen?"

Lisette sounded annoyed. "So you forgot then."

Alto tried to defuse the situation. "All right, give me your hand." Lisette and Alto joined hands on top of the blanket.

"Feels like it's been a while." Lisette muttered.

"Yeah." Alto agreed, not wanting to set her off again.

"Goodnight, Alto." Lisette said with a yawn."

"Yeah… Goodnight, Lisette" Alto replied as he closed his eyes.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Meanwhile at the Forest Lake**

"A small, but happy village. It's almost picturesque." Hilda remarked, looking in the direction of the village of Mithra.

"Agreed." A male voice said as its owner walked up beside her. He was taller than Hilda, standing at 5ft 11 in. He had spiky blood crimson colored hair and grey eyes. He wore a black long coat with a white fur collar and trim. It had symmetrical designs in white on both sides. Underneath it, he wore black and red leather armor designed for mobility rather than defense. On his legs were black pants with black leather armor sewn on. Upon his feet, he wore black boots with white armor on the toe area and on the cuffs of the boots. On the lapel of his coat, there was a gold stylized charm of a witch carrying a scythe. He carried a wicked looking black and red spear. "But it's all the more reason we do this, yeah?"

"Indeed." Hilda nodded. "Make your preparations, Dante." We'll begin as soon as day breaks."

The now named Dante smirked. "Understood. May your song echo throughout the land." With that, Dante left, leaving Hilda to her thoughts. Tonight they centered on the teen she had met in the forest. He intrigued her. His looks and mannerisms for one thing, but also his fighting style. It was something she hadn't ever seen before. Such acrobatics shouldn't have been possible for an ordinary human. But what most intrigued her was his analytical mind and the fact that he'd immediately tried to save her, in spite of the fact that she could handle herself. He hadn't been condescending, he'd legitimately wanted to help her, thinking nothing of his own safety. ' _Alto… Just who are you?_ ' She wondered.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **The Next Morning**

Alto awoke to a familiar sound. "I can hear it…" He muttered. ' _That's Hilda's voice! Is she singing again? It sounds like she's right outside the house!? But what in the name of the Force is she doing in the village?!_ ' Alto wondered. "Another song." Alto said as he got up from the bed. Dawn was just breaking over the mountains.

Lisette groaned. "Nn… What's the matter? It's so early…"

"You can hear it, right Lisette?" Alto asked. "It's a song."

Lisette yawned. "Wh-What are you talking about…" She was still half asleep. "Only Witches can sing." The singing quickly caught Lisette's attention and she also got up from the bed. "You're right…" She said, her eyes wide. "I do hear a… strange sound…" Her expression turned to one of wonder. "So this… is a song?"

"That girl's…" Alto started, but Lisette interrupted.

"That girl? You mean from yesterday? Are you saying she's a Witch!?"

Alto nodded. "I heard her singing this yesterday, too."

Lisette perked up. "If she really is a Witch, maybe she can heal Mr. Otto!"

Alto wasn't so sure. He had a suspicion that Hilda was responsible for Otto's condition in the first place. "What do you mean?"

Lisette was very excited. "We learned that in school, remember!? Witches can use magic! Maybe she can use her magic to save Mr. Otto."

"…!" Alto was too shocked at his pseudo-sister's enthusiasm. Usually it was him acting on impulse!

Lisette ran for the door. "I'm going to find her! I'll get her to help the village!"

Alto rushed after her. "I'm coming with you! I want to help the village too!" ' _Not to mention I have a sneaking suspicion the meeting won't go well._ ' "She might leave quickly like last time, so let's hurry!"

The two teens hurried outside. Alto had been right. She was singing just outside their house. "Hilda!" He called out.

Hilda stopped singing. She turned to him, her eyes closed in disappointment. "You disappoint me." She opened her eyes to look at the two. "I've told you several times to leave the village!"

"You're a Witch, aren't you?" Lisette asked, Hilda focused her gaze on her. "We learned that you can make miracles happen with magic."

"Fine…" Hilda said. "What do you want?"

"I beg you…" Lisette pleaded. "Lend us your power!"

Hilda cocked her head to one side. "Power?"

Alto nodded. "We don't know what caused it, but a villager is trapped in crystal…" Hilda looked back to him. "We can't do anything about it." Alto continued. "But if you could help us with your magic-" Alto trailed off waiting to see what Hilda would do.

Hilda started chuckling, much to Lisette's shock. Alto on the other hand narrowed his eyes. ' _So it was her!_ '

"Ahaha…" Hilda's chuckling turned into full blown laughter. "Ahahahahaha…!" She gained control of herself. "You two are very amusing."

"Wha-What's so funny about this!?" Lisette demanded. "It isn't a laughing matter to want to save a friend from the village!"

Hilda nodded. "Indeed." She sighed. "I suppose you're just foolish, then." Alto's eyes narrowed further as his hand drifted to his sword casually. Hilda turned to him. "Hey, Alto. Would you say my name once more?"

That slightly confused Alto. "Your name? It's Hilda, isn't it?"

Hilda nodded. "Yes, Hilda."

"Hilda…?" Lisette repeated. "Alto… Her name's Hilda…?"

"You know her, Lisette?" Alto asked.

Lisette nodded fearfully. "Hilda… the Black Witch." Her voice took on a scared tone. "You're the Witch of Destruction!"

Hilda nodded. "Correct. The very same." She gestured to the rest of the village. "And I am the one who turned your friend into crystal."

Alto gripped his sword hilt, ready to draw it fast. ' _I was right!_ ' Aloud, he asked. "And why did you do that?"

As Hilda opened her mouth to reply a new voice came from down the street. "Hey, why'd you stop the Song of Ruin?" Lisette turned to look at the new person and gasped at his appearance. Alto glanced between the two, subtly positioning his body so as to keep both in his field of vision. "The crystallization isn't-" The new arrival trailed off as he spotted Alto and Lisette. "Who're these runts?"

Alto glared at the teen before looking at Hilda. "A friend of yours, I take it?" His eyes flicked back to the red head. "Who the kriff are you?"

The teen smirked. "I'm the best spearman in the Harbingers. The name's Dante." His eyes went cold. "Remember it. It's the name of the man who's gonna kill you." Dante readied his spear.

Alto raised an eyebrow at the teen's arrogance. "Somehow I very much doubt that an amateur like you can kill me."

Lisette on the other hand asked. "Why would you kill us…? We're both human…"

Dante started laughing at Lisette's statement. "Hahahahaha! It's because we're human that we kill each other."

Alto's eyebrow climbed higher. "A bit full of yourself aren't you, you bastard!?"

Dante scowled. "What did you say, you-"

Hilda's voice cut him off. "Enough Dante." Dante looked at her. "Executing the Song of Ruin is our priority right now. Cover me."

Dante nodded. "Got it." Hilda teleported both herself and Dante to the village square.

Alto ran after them, Lisette following. "Hold it! Stop running away!"

Hilda raised her own eyebrow. "Running? Hardly." She raised her hand. Alto tensed, feeling power gathering in it. "Come forth, my familiars." With a flash of magic, two monsters appeared, blocking Alto's path to Hilda and Dante.

Lisette gasped. "Wh-What are those things!?"

Alto growled, eyes narrowing. "Monsters!"

And indeed monsters they were. They were orcs. Both were 9-foot-tall hulking brutes with savage faces, bulging muscular bodies and carrying large spiked clubs. Their skin was red, they were bald, and they had long pointed ears and large fangs. Their claws were yellow and wickedly curved. They wore loincloths and each had a skull tied to one shoulder… very human looking skulls.

Hilda spoke up. "I'll begin the song now. I'm counting on you, Dante."

Dante nodded. "Understood." He smirked. "Although I'm sure these monsters will be enough for these scrubs." Both monsters grunted and snarled as they started to advance.

Alto drew his sword. "Damn it! They're coming, Lisette!"

Lisette nodded nervously. "R-Right!" She said as she picked up a thick walking stave that was leaning on the house next to them.

Alto strode forward, sword at the ready. "I won't let you lay a finger on this village!"

Lisette nodded with a little more courage. "I'll do everything I can to protect Mithra!" She proclaimed.

Alto drew on the Force, enhancing his speed, strength and reflexes. He ran at the first orc, Lisette following him. Dodging to the side of its clumsy attack, Alto swung hard, severing the monster's right arm. Before it could do anything more than howl in pain, Alto had buried his blade in its chest. The thrust pierced the monster's heart and it died. Alto planted his boot and yanked his sword free as Lisette screamed. "ALTO, LOOK OUT!" Alto spun in time to see the second orc bellow in rage at the death of its companion and swung its club down. An explosion of dirt and dust flew into the air at the impact.

Lisette dropped to her knees in shock. "No…" She whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.

Dante smirked. "I guess that takes care of-" A loud thud cut him off. "Huh?"

The dust began to settle. A large head rolled out of the dust cloud and came to a stop at Dante's feet. As the dust cleared a figure could be seen walking toward Hilda and Dante.

Lisette's voice took on a hopeful tone. "Alto?"

Alto stopped and sneered at the two in front of him. "Pathetic."

Dante lost his composure for a moment before walking forward. "Well, well… So, you've taken them all out…" He stopped walking. "Impressive for country bumpkins. Too bad you're outta time." He turned around. "Hilda."

Hilda spoke up. "Listen to the Song of Destruction." Just as she was about to sing, she noticed Alto moving. "Dante, Watch out!" She called.

"Huh?" Dante turned and had to throw himself out of the way as Alto's sword sliced where he'd been standing. A slightly apprehensive look appeared on Dante's face. ' _SHIT! That was close!_ ' He thought as he saw the cut on his coat. ' _Had that connected I would be dead!_ ' Bringing his spear up, he kept a wary eye on Alto who had jumped back in case of a counter attack. "Hilda, Sing!" He yelled to his leader, ready to intercept Alto and Lisette.

Hilda nodded and began to sing. A sinister crimson red aura spread out from her.

"What's going on?" Alto and Lisette turned to see Hanna, Mayor Bogen, and other villagers coming out into the streets of the village.

"You mustn't come here!" Alto shouted frantically.

"What's that sound?" Hanna asked. "It's so eerie."

Mayor Bogen looked around fearfully. "It's a song… one of destruction, sung by a Witch…" His face went to sheer panic. "This isn't good! Everyone, get inside and lock your doors!" Panicking, the villagers did so, save for Alto and Hilda.

"What's happening?" Lisette asked. But it was too late.

Crystal began encasing the village at an alarming rate, growing in that twisted unnatural style that Alto and Lisette had seen on Otto. The crystals began encasing everything. They sprouted out of walls, out of trees, some even exploded from the well.

"Lisette! Alto!" Both turned to see Rosa lying on the ground. Alto gasped and grabbed Lisette as she tried to run to her mother. Crystals were growing around her and on her left foot, and the crystallization was beginning to spread to the rest of her body.

"NO! MOM!" Lisette screamed as she struggled in Alto's grasp, trying desperately to reach her mother. "WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU MOM!"

"DON'T LISETTE!" Alto shouted as he pulled Lisette away from the dangerous crystals. "OR YOU'LL BE TRAPPED TOO!"

"ALTO, YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP HER AWAY FROM HERE!" Rosa yelled as the crystallization began to speed up in response to Hilda's song. "DON'T WORRY ABOUT ME RUN!"

' _The Crystallization is spreading!_ ' Alto thought, horrified.

"JUST GET AWAY FROM HERE!"

"MOM, NO!" Lisette screamed.

A tear slipped down Rosa's cheek. "Just run and don't look back!" The crystals had almost fully encased her. "Please Lisette, just close your eyes and escape!" She begged as the crystals fully encased her body.

Lisette clutched her head and screamed amidst the crystalized village of Mithra, a horrified expression on her face. "MAKE IT STOOOOP!"

Hilda's terrible song finally ended, and the crystals stopped growing. Alto could only look around in horror at the devastation. "Miss Rosa… Everyone…"

"This… This can't be happening…!" Lisette collapsed to her knees not noticing anything around her. Her stave clattered loudly on the crystalized ground.

"Amazing. "Dante remarked with a grin as a cold wind blew through the village. "Your voice carried especially well today."

"It's the same as always." Hilda replied.

Dante turned to the two survivors. "So what are we doing with these two runts? Kill them, or…?"

Hilda shook her head. "They aren't worth killing."

"Hm. Let them go?" Dante looked at Hilda. "That's rare of you." He turned back to the two horrified survivors. "It's your lucky day, runts. Get outta here, before Hilda changes her min- WHOA!" Dante and Hilda both flew back as a wave of Force energy knocked them off their feet.

"What the hell?" Dante asked as the two picked themselves up. Both stared incredulously at Alto. His hand out stretched at the two and his face down so that his expression unreadable in that position.

"…Hilda." Both actually shivered at the ice in his voice. "Why would you do this?" Alto demanded.

Hilda regained her composure. "Because I am a Witch." She said.

"Turn the village…" Alto growled. "Everyone… back to how they were!"

"Unfortunately for you." Hilda replied. "I'm the Witch of Destruction. Although I can cast spells that wreak havoc, I can't undo them."

"What are you saying!?" Alto snarled. "Stop joking around…!" Alto brandished his sword. "DON'T MESS WITH US!" He roared as he charged at Hilda.

Dante intercepted and blocked Alto's sword with his spear. "Did you think I'd let you pass?" He sneered.

His sneer didn't last long as Alto's fist buried itself in his unprotected gut. Dante gasped at the pain and having the wind knocked out of him as he doubled over. Alto's hand grabbed him by the throat as he doubled over and squeezed hard, choking the red-haired spearman. "Out of my way, you bastard son of a WHORE!" Alto roared the last word as he threw crimson haired teen away from himself.

Hilda gasped as her subordinate was thrown with enough force to smash through a crystal tower. Alto didn't even glance at the spearman as he stalked towards the witch. Hilda swore that she could see blue-white lightning crackling around him. She backed away, more than a little unnerved at the power Alto was displaying.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Alto was forced to jump back as an enraged Dante attacked him. Both were now blinded with rage and anger. Their attacks were wild, neither had managed to land a hit on the other as their weapons clashed over and over again. Alto leapt back allowing Dante's wild slash to pass by him. This allowed him the reprieve needed to calm himself down enough to control and channel the rage he felt, though it was very hard. Hilda gasped as she saw Alto's face, stance, and style change. No more was he just swinging like a madman. His face was still angry, but it was a controlled rage, and his strikes were becoming more and more precise and powerful as his face started to grow calmer. His attacks got more and more powerful as he started to batter down Dante's defenses with each stroke.

Unknown to those around him, Alto had started using the fifth style of lightsaber combat; Djem So, also known as the Krayt Dragon style and was one of the more power oriented styles of lightsaber combat. It relied on raining powerful blows onto an enemy until a hole was forced open in their defenses, then delivering a killing or crippling blow before the killing stroke. It had reasonable defense capabilities, but it mainly relied on the principle of "A strong offense is a good defense".

Dante had finally managed to calm down some, but he was still being overwhelmed. Thinking fast, he allowed one of Alto's blows to force his spear down. Using the added momentum, he planted his spear in the crystalized ground and used it as leverage to swing himself around and kicked Alto in the chest. Caught off-guard, Alto went skidding back on the crystalized ground, giving Dante a much-needed break and some breathing room. "What the hell is this kid?" Dante muttered to himself as he and Alto charged at on another.

Behind Alto, Lisette remained kneeling on the ground. Tears stained her cheeks as she sobbed. "Mom… Why…?"

"Lisette, get ahold of yourself!" Alto yelled as he engaged Dante again.

"I… I…" More sobs wracked Lisette's body.

Alto and Dante clashed again and again. Each time, Alto seemed to be gaining ground. This continued until Dante threw some shattered crystal in his face and made a swing that would have skewered the teen had he not leaped back. Alto, temporarily blinded, listened to the Force, telling him of the attack headed his way and leaped backwards. But he could not avoid the attack completely. Alto received a deep stab wound on his right shoulder, rendering it useless for the moment.

"Rgh…" Alto growled as he wiped the crystal dust out of his eyes and grabbed the injured shoulder.

Dante looked at Alto and snarled out. "If you want to die so much, then I'll grant your wish, you brat!"

Hilda's eyes widened. "Dante!" She called out but the spearman ignored her, approaching the injured teen.

"Die." Dante growled, raising his spear to strike Alto and end his life.

Lisette seeing this called out. "Stop…" Her voice rose to a scream. "…Stop it!"

A flash of light from the pendant around her neck attracted all eyes. Hilda's, in particular, widened considerably. "What…?" Hilda gasped.

Lisette rose off the ground as the pendant flashed before sinking into her skin, vanishing completely as a crimson aura sprang up around her.

"The pendant…" Alto muttered in shock. "It… went into her chest…"

Lisette let out a scream of pain. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

Dante was in the same state as Hilda. "Hey, isn't this-"

Hilda stared. "The Water Qualia…!" How careless of me…"

"You hurt my mom! Alto too!" Lisette yelled. "I won't let you hurt any more people close to me!" The red aura intensified and became tinged with black.

"Dante, kill that girl!' Hilda commanded.

But unfortunately for him, the aura, now tinged heavily with black, pushed him back. "Dammit! I can't get close…!"

"Lisette! Lisette!" Alto called out frantically, sensing the pain emanating from the girl. "What's going on here!?"

Lisette let out another scream of pain. "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

"Liseeeettte!" Alto screamed as the red and black flame-like aura engulfed him and he blacked out.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alto awoke, floating in what looked like space. "What the kriff happened?" He asked aloud. "Oh, right… I was engulfed in that black flame." He sighed sadly. "Some second chance. I kriffed it up. I couldn't even protect those precious to me." He cast his mind back to when Lisette had given him his name.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Flashback:**

 _Lisette smiled at the boy and said. "Alto. Your name is Alto." Her smile was very gentle as she continued. "You don't have to be scared. My mom and I are your family now. This house… this village… is your home. So walk around with your head up. You're Alto from Mithra Village!"_

 **Flashback End:**

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I'm sorry, Lisette… I'm so sorry…" Alto/Revan whispered before shaking his head. "NO! No, no, no, no, no, no! What the hell am I doing!? I almost gave up!" He clenched his fists. "She saved me! If I don't protect her now, who will!?" His fists clenched tighter. "I need to be stronger!" Alto growled. "I need the strength to protect those precious to me!"

A voice echoed through space. It was definitely male, and a deeper baritone than Alto's voice. " **So you seek power?** "

Alto/Revan looked around. "Who's there!? Show yourself!"

" **Do you seek power?** " The voice questioned.

Alto/Revan growled. "What I seek is to have access to the full power that I know my body possesses, yet can't! I'm going to protect Lisette and this planet! But I can't do that with ninety-nine percent of my power sealed, you bastard! Whoever you are!"

" **Then I shall grant you power.** " The voice said. " **But know that you cannot turn back once it's yours.** "

"I don't care!" Alto/Revan shouted. "I knew that when I fused with this soul!" He clenched his fist again. "If you can unseal my power, then do it already!"

A white light emanated from Alto/Revan's chest, before the entire space was bathed in it. As It blinded him, Alto/Revan heard the voice again. " **…Tune the girl.** "

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When the light receded, Alto saw Lisette's naked body floating above him. He stretched his hand out to her. To his surprise, a blue light sank out of her from the small of her back. Feeling the Force guide him, he grasped it. A flash of blue light enveloped him and he felt himself falling very fast. He saw images of Lisette's life flash out of the corners of his eyes as well as strange aquatic creature constructs float by him.

Alto landed on what looked like a narrow path of large mono color squares alternating in blue-white and black. He stood up and looked around. He saw the same images flashing around him as well as those unusual aquatic creature constructs swimming through the air. They were a rainbow of colors, but only in different hues of the ocean. He was completely shocked. He had never experienced anything like this before, even as Revan. "What was that?" He asked as he looked around. "And… where the kriff am I?"

The same voice he had heard before echoed again inside his head. " **You are inside this girl's heart.** "

"This voice again…!?" Alto looked around, trying to see if its owner would reveal himself. But no one else appeared.

The voice spoke again. " **Tune the girl. She's waiting for you.** "

"That's right!" Alto frantically looked around. "Lisette… Lisette, where are you!?" He finally spotted her. "Lisette!"

Lisette was kneeling at the end of the path. Sobs were coming out in whimpers. Behind her, a giant version of the pendant's gemstone floated, turning slowly in place, casting a pale blue light over the area.

Alto sighed in relief. "Found you!" He cupped his hands as he called to her. "Lisette! You can hear me, right?" There was no response from her. "Answer me!" Alto called out.

"I… I…" Lisette sobbed out.

"Can't reach her from here." Alto muttered. I have to get closer…!" He ran towards Lisette.

"Mom… Everyone in the village… How could this happen…?" Lisette wrapped her arms around herself.

"Damn it!" Alto said as darkness started to consume the path behind him. He ran faster.

"I was so happy with how things were…" Lisette moaned out. "Why did everything turn out this way…?"

More darkness closed in. The path behind Alto was almost completely enveloped in pitch black shadow. "Shit!" He exclaimed as he ran.

"If I… If I have to keep feeling this pain…" Lisette murmured, yet her voice echoed throughout the area, clear as a bell. "I could just stay like this…"

Alto leaped the last few feet just as the darkness was about to touch him. Landing next to Lisette, he grabbed her shoulder. "Lisette!"

Lisette looked up. "Alto… Why are you here…?"

Alto looked at her like she had said something stupid. "I came to save you." He said fiercely. "And don't ever give in like that!" A pulse of light flashed from the area around her heart. The giant blue multi-faceted gemstone also pulsed, but no light flashed from it. It was more like a wave of power. In response to the pulse, the darkness began to recede.

"I'm sorry. And thanks." Lisette smiled sadly.

To Alto's relief, the encroaching darkness began receding. "At any rate," Alto said, looking around. "we have to get out of here."

Lisette looked mournful. "Out?" She asked. "Even if we do, where would we go?" She closed her eyes in sadness. "We don't have a place to call home anymore…"

Alto grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes. "That's not true!" Another flash of light emanated from Lisette's heart and another pulse of power emanated from the gemstone. More darkness faded away. There was very little of it left. "It isn't gone! We still have a home."

Lisette still looked sad. "But it's not the same." She closed her eyes again. "Mom… everyone in the village… They're already…"

"I won't forgive them. Not until they change them back." Alto said. "They took everything from us in an instant. It's unfair…" He clenched a fist. "Until we get them to change them back, there's something we must do." He stepped back and stretched out a hand in an invitation for her to grab it. "Come with me, Lisette." She looked up at him. "We'll save your mom… and everyone else… and get the village back."

Lisette looked hopeful. "Get it back?" She asked. "Can we really do that…?"

Alto nodded. "Believe in me, Lisette!" The brightest flash yet pulsed from Lisette. At the same time a huge pulse of power emanated from the gemstone. The darkness had disappeared.

"I'll always believe in you, Alto." Lisette smiled, not in sadness, but in happiness as she took Alto's outstretched hand. "You're genuine, and honest, and filled with a courage I don't have…" Alto pulled her to her feet. The two released their hands as they looked at each other.

"See?" Alto smiled. "You're alright now, aren't you?"

"Mhm…" Lisette nodded. "I'm still scared of fighting…" A look of determination filled her face. "But I want to protect my mom and the villagers!"

"There has to be a way to reverse the crystallization…!" Alto said.

"Will you help me find it?" Lisette asked.

"You have to ask?" Alto smirked. "Of course I will!" Alto smiled now. "Mithra is my home… and we are family."

Lisette nodded. "Yes. Yes, you're right."

Alto's smile widened. "All right. Take my hand!" He extended his hand towards Lisette.

"Ok!" Lisette nodded and reached out with her own hand.

A flash of white pulsed out from both teens as they vanished.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hilda and Dante could only watch in shock. Hilda, more so than Dante. Both Alto and Lisette had been engulfed in the red-black flame-like aura, until it suddenly changed into a bright white light. "This phenomenon…" Hilda whispered.

"Hey!" Dante exclaimed. "That's-"

At that moment, both Alto and Lisette reappeared. Almost instantly, Lisette was engulfed in a blue aura. It grew so bright that all present had to avert their eyes. Unseen and unnoticed by all except Alto, his shoulder wound had disappeared. Alto brushed it off as a side effect of whatever it was that had happened with him and Lisette. "Ngh… Guh… Ugh…" Lisette panted out before screaming in pain. "Aaaaaagh…"

As the aura died down, Alto gaped at his pseudo-sister. "Lisette…?" He blinked in amazement. "What are those clothes…?"

Lisette's outfit had changed dramatically from her village garb. She now wore an outfit that was predominantly blue and white. There were small areas of yellow, but not many. Her footwear now consisted of blue knee high boots with white cuffs and a large white diamond shaped area on the top of the foot. They had buttons running along the fronts that were circular in shape and small, being dull yellow in color. Lisette's dress had shortened to a short skirt that was short, nearly the point of being obscene. It looked as though one puff of wind would reveal her undergarments. Her top now consisted of a white blouse with long cuffed sleeves. The cuffs being sea-blue in color with yellow outlines. The blouse was open at the top, exposing a moderate amount of cleavage. The entire top clung to her body like a second skin. Down the front of the skirt was a small bird like figure on a white background below a light blue section that was outlined in yellow. A small thin yellow belt wrapped around her waist. On her head was a light blue cap with white outlines. A triangular section rose from the front that was a slightly darker shade of blue and this was outlined in yellow. On each side was a thin blue cord with a yellow tassel at the end of each. Her stave had changed from a simple wooden pole to a staff capped by a spiked conch shell. It was now as tall as Lisette. Overall the outfit reminded Alto of the water; seductive, yet innocent, mysterious, yet simple.

Lisette gasped for air as she leaned on her staff for balance. "I… I don't know…" My body's so hot… It's weird…"

"What's going on…?" Alto wondered aloud. ' _Is this what happens when a Witch reaches their full power?_ '

Hilda gasped. "That was a… tuning."

"What's that mean?" Dante asked, eyeing the two teens warily.

Hilda started chuckling that quickly evolved into complete laughter. "Ahahahahahaha!" She gained control of herself. "What irony! God must really despise me!"

Dante was still eyeing the two teens. "What do you wanna do, Hilda?" He asked.

"We'll need to regroup." Hilda commanded before teleporting the two back farther from Alto and Hilda. She raised her hand. "Come forth, my familiars. It's time to hunt." In a flash of light, three more orcs were summoned.

"Seems a bit much for a couple of runts." Dante commented.

"That girl is our enemy." Hilda said, both to Dante and her familiars. "Kill her. But deliver the boy to me alive."

"As you wish." Dante acknowledged. "Well then… the plan has changed. I won't go easy this time." Dante readied his spear. "Your gonna die, girl." Dante made no move however, staying at Hilda's side, content to let the orcs either do the job or tire Alto and Lisette out to the point where it would be easy for him to do it.

Alto growled, his mind was clear now. He wouldn't be caught off guard, this time. "Stay behind me, Lisette."

"No." Lisette said. "I'm fighting with you."

It's too dangerous!" Alto snapped.

"I can fight now!" Lisette protested. "I don't know why… but I can!"

Knowing there was no time to argue, Alto nodded. "All right, I believe in you, Lisette." He readied his sword. "If you can, attack from a distance to give me some support."

Lisette nodded. "Right!" She readied her new weapon.

Alto glared past the orcs. "Get ready Dante. This time you won't be so lucky." He snarled as the orcs started to advance.

With that, both Alto and Lisette charged. Lisette slowed enough to swing her staff at the lead orc. A ball of water appeared and a sent a stream of pressurized water at it. It flew over Alto's head and collided with the much taller orc's face. Unknown to Lisette, when she formed the attack, it being her first time and all, there was enough force behind it to punch through a foot of steel. Now, when that amount of force met the orc's head, there was only one possible outcome; The summoned familiar's head vanished and the body collapsed, blood pouring from the neck. Lisette stopped, gaping at the end result of her attack, as did Hilda and Dante.

Alto, on the other hand, performed a Force-powered jump that took him to the shoulder of the left side of the two remaining orcs. Before it had a chance to react, Alto lashed out with his booted foot and kicked the monster in the face, sending it reeling backwards. Alto then, in a stunning display of acrobatics, used the stumbling monster as a springboard to propel himself at the other orc as it turned back to face him. His aim was true and his sword sunk deep into the monster's chest, spearing its heart, killing it almost instantly. With the momentum of Alto's flying stab, the orc's body fell down backwards. Alto landed in a crouch on top of the corpse.

Alto ripped his sword from the corpse and turned to face Hilda and Dante, both of which were stunned at what had happened. The remaining orc, when Alto had used it as a springboard, had stumbled back before tripping and falling down. By either luck or design, the orc had fallen onto a crystal spike that had skewered it through the back and out its stomach sending black blood spurting from the wounds. It screamed in pain, but could not move itself off the spike, as it had been paralyzed from the waist down. It thrashed about as Alto approached it on his way to Hilda and Dante. When he got close enough, he casually, almost carelessly, swung his sword and decapitated it, putting it out of its misery. Alto didn't spare it a glance; his eyes were fixed firmly on Hilda and Dante.

Dante stepped forward as Alto approached them, Lisette right behind him. "Lisette." Alto said lowly. "Don't interfere, he is mine!" The last part came out as a snarl as Alto leaped at Dante before Lisette could protest. This one was not done with any sort of flair or drawn out for dramatic effect. Alto leaped at Dante with only one intention; to spit Dante on his sword.

Dante bit out a curse as he deflected the initial strike, but was unprepared for the follow up snap kick to his exposed side. The kick sent Dante sprawling, but he managed to turn it into a roll and sprang to his feet with a leap forward. That was the only thing that saved his life, as Alto had lashed out with a slice that would have buried his sword in Dante's chest had he remained on the ground. Bringing his spear up to deflect another attack, Dante was forced to continue to give ground. Again, and again, the sword clashed with the spear, and with each strike it was becoming more and more clear just which of the two was the better fighter. Dante's coat was littered with cuts while Alto's clothes remained untouched. Dante was sweating, while Alto barely looked winded.

Hilda was watching the duel with a critical eye. It was clear to her that Alto was the better warrior of the two. She was worried; Alto was toying with Dante, he was deliberately cutting up Dante's coat and armor when any one of those strikes should have been lethal or crippling to Dante. Suddenly, she realized what Alto was doing; he was trying to demoralize Dante by letting him know just how outclassed he was and that he could have ended Dante's life any time he wanted.

Unfortunately, Dante had not realized this fact and he was losing his focus. His strikes were getting more and more desperate and wild. "Damn it!" He snarled as he deflected another strike aimed at his chest and leaped back, as did Alto, creating a pause in the battle. "To think that there'd be this much of a change…"

Hilda walked forward. "Stand down, Dante. I'll fight them."

Dante wasn't about to give up yet. "Hey, wait! I can finish 'em off!"

Hilda looked sharply at Dante, who wisely didn't challenge her. "Listen to my song."

Dante nodded reluctantly. "As you wish…"

Alto started to charge, but he was too late. Hilda began to sing. It was a variation of the song she had sung before. It now had the added effect of paralyzing both Alto and Lisette. The crystals that covered the village begat to grow, creeping toward Alto and Lisette.

"W-We have to stop her!" Lisette called out, trying to move but it was futile.

"Damn it!" Alto bit out as he began gathering the Force within him, intending to release it in a Force Wave that would send Hilda and Dante off their feet and interrupt Hilda's song.

But he was prevented from doing so as a deep, rich, cultured voice rang out. "That's enough!"

A rain of arrows flew at Hilda. Dante was in front of her in an instant, deflecting all the arrows that would have hit her. But the distraction was enough for Hilda to stop singing. Alto glanced back to see who had spoken.

A group of armored knights had appeared behind Lisette and Alto. ' _So NOW they choose to show up!?_ ' Alto thought in disbelief, having sensed the knights surround the village the first-time Hilda had sung her song and encased Mithra in crystal. ' _What were they waiting for!? A gilded invitation?!_ '

The man leading the knights had Alto's attention. He was tall, reaching six feet in height. He wore no helm, exposing his chin-length yellow blond hair and handsome aristocratic features. He had dull blue eyes, and was encased in armor. The armor was white with gold trim. It was separated into plates to allow him more freedom of movement but to Alto, it looked like there were far too many and too large gaps in the armor. Attached to his back and shoulder armor was a long white cape with gold trim that reached down to mid-shin in length. Underneath the armor, he wore a blue undershirt and tan leggings. Overall, Alto thought the armor was more ceremonial than functional, not seeing any scratches or dents on it. It was also highly polished, lending more credence to Alto's suspicion of the armor being more for ceremonial purposes than for actual combat.

The man spoke. "Hilda, the Witch of Destruction, and her subordinates, the Harbingers!" By order of Her Majesty, we the Royal Knights shall capture you!" He brandished his gilded gold and white spear ad his men drew their swords and shields.

Alto snorted quietly. The man sounded extremely full of himself to Alto, did he honestly expect Hilda to surrender at his proclamation? Hilda was not in any danger of being captured; she could teleport herself and Dante away. And added to that was the fact that only the commander posed any sort of threat to Hilda and Dante, the knights would be slaughtered by Hilda's magic while Dante held off the commander. They were no threat outside of the commander. Alto could sense he was hiding his true abilities. How much he was holding back, Alto couldn't tell, but enough to make Alto very wary of the commander.

"…" Hilda seemed to reach the same conclusions as Alto had.

"A bunch of trouble just showed up…" Dante growled. "Fine, I'll take you all on!" He brandished his spear threateningly.

"Hilda shook her head, placing a restraining hand on Dante's shoulder. "We're withdrawing."

"You sure about that, Hilda?" Dante asked. Either he was supremely overconfident of their chances, or he was skilled enough to sense how pathetic the majority of their opponents were. Alto was betting that it was a combination of the two.

Hilda nodded. "Don't mind them, for now."

Alto stepped forward. "Hilda, wait!"

Hilda smiled at Alto, not a cruel one, or a sad one, but a simple true smile. Alto had no idea what it meant as she spoke. "Goodbye, Alto." With that Hilda teleported both herself and Dante away.

"We have to follow them." Alto said to Lisette, who nodded.

As the two started to head for the forest, the commander called out. "Wait a moment."

Both turned to him. "That will not be necessary. Our forces are already in pursuit." Alto snorted at that. The commander frowned. "Something amusing, boy?"

"Only that you believe that this pathetic bunch stand any sort of chance of capturing her." Alto said scornfully.

"Alto!" Lisette hissed. "Don't be rude!"

Alto glared at the knights contemptuously, sheathing his sword. "And why shouldn't I be rude to the very people that stood just outside the village and did _nothing_ as Hilda did this…?" Alto gestured to the crystal encased village. "They made no effort to hide themselves from view, Lisette, and I could hear them as the stomped around the village like a pack of drunks." He snorted as Lisette's face grew pale at that information. He then turned to the commander. "None of them, to me, look skilled enough to track a lame deer through fresh snow on a clear day. You'll never find her." The knights bristled at that. "Anyway, who the kriff are you people?"

The commander tried to look intimidating, but Revan had seen, and fought, beings that were far more intimidating than this pompous fool could ever hope to be. "We are the Royal Knights in service of Her Majesty, Queen Anastasia III." Then he smiled gently, as if trying to be charming, and it might have worked on Lisette, had Alto not pointed out that his inaction had caused Mithra to be encased in crystal. "Ah, I have yet to introduce myself." He swept into a courteous bow, Alto snorted and the man's expression flickered for a moment before returning to the charming smile. "I am Klaus, retainer in service to Her Majesty's Regnant Royal Knights."

"What are the knights of the capital doing out here?" Lisette asked warily.

"Most likely trying and failing to capture Hilda." Alto remarked as a soldier walked up and saluted Klaus who was scowling at Alto.

"Commander Klaus! We've completed the transport of the villagers!"

"What's going to happen to everyone?" Lisette demanded. "To my mom…?"

"We are moving them to the capital." Klaus said, somewhat condescendingly. "We will talk in detail once we arrive."

"Huh?" Lisette wore a look of confusion. "Are you bringing us there, too?"

"And what gives you the right to decide that, you bas-"

Klaus cut Alto off. "Unfortunately, you don't have the right to decline." He glared slightly at Alto. "From now on you two will be placed under our surveillance."

"Under surveillance?" Lisette asked as Alto scowled, his hand drifting slowly and casually to his sword hilt. "But we haven't done anything wrong!"

"I understand your frustration." Klaus said to Lisette. "But this decision comes from the kingdom."

"It's because of the power I just used, isn't it?" Lisette murmured. "My body has become… strange." Lisette's eyes closed. "It's hot… my brain's a mess… and I don't feel like myself at all…"

"I am sorry to say this, Lisette…" Klaus said. "But you have become a Witch."

Both Alto and Lisette's eyes went wide at that proclamation.

39


	4. Chapter 4: Becoming a Knight

**Chapter 4: Becoming a Knight**

At the gates of the capital city, Lambert, the knights were halted and asked to identify themselves. "We are Royal Knights." One guard declared. "We have brought the Water Witch, as ordered."

"Very well." The corporal in charge of the gates replied. "You may pass!" With that the knights entered the city.

Alto and Lisette were in covered wagons and couldn't see anything as they were also blindfolded and had been so since they were forced to leave Mithra yesterday. Alto hadn't protested too much because he had long learned how to rely on other senses if he were deprived of one. And he had the Force as his ally if need be, but he still hated their current situation. Klaus had claimed it was to keep a low profile, but Alto doubted it. There was something off about the commander that set him on edge. His smile was expertly crafted, but to someone like Revan, it was easy to see as a fake one. The man was hiding something, that much Alto was certain. What it was, Alto didn't know, but it would be prudent to keep his guard up.

' _Damn it!_ ' Alto thought. ' _I can't see a thing…_ '

"…" Lisette had stayed quiet throughout the trip.

A soldier addressed them from outside. "Water Witch. Boy." Alto bristled at that. He wanted so dearly to lay into the soldiers for their inaction that had cost him and Lisette their home. "We will remove your coverings now. Do not make a fuss." The blindfold was removed roughly.

"Ngh!" Alto blinked as the sunlight invaded his vision. As his vision returned, Alto looked around, taking in the sights of the city around him. It was actually quite impressive for a planet that was considered primitive and pre-space travel. Large houses and shops were spread out quite evenly, almost artistically. The streets were clean and horse drawn carriages moved on the wide streets. People walked the roads and catted happily to each other. Children ran all over the place, some playing, others running errands for their parents. Shopkeepers and vendors called to the crowds to entice them into looking at their wares. The royal palace, easily recognizable as it was the tallest building, gleamed in the sunlight as it towered over the city.

"Lambert." Lisette uttered in awe. "The Royal Capital."

"So this is the Royal Capital." Alto mused.

"We're really here…" Lisette said, still not quite believing it. She then gasped. "The villagers! Where are the villagers…!"

Alto turned to the soldier standing next to him. "Where are the villagers of Mithra?" He demanded.

"The people of Mithra have been moved to a treatment facility." The soldier dutifully replied.

"A treatment facility…?" Lisette asked. "Does that mean… my mom and the others are going to get better!?"

"That information is classified." The soldier said.

"So you brought us here, but you can't tell us anything!?" Lisette demanded.

Alto put a restraining hand on her soldier. "What he means is that they can't do anything." Lisette looked at him. "If they could treat Miss Rosa and everyone else, they would have spread the news as fast as possible to raise moral. The fact that their hiding the people in a 'treatment facility' means that they don't know anything but are saying that to keep the general public from finding out the truth and rioting." Alto said calmly. "Am I wrong?" he addressed the soldier.

"Ah… er…" The soldier floundered for a few seconds before regaining his composure. "I do not have the authority to say. Please inquire with Commander Klaus."

Alto glanced around. Klaus was nowhere in sight. "Now that you mention it." Lisette said, also looking around. "Where is that blonde knight?"

"I'm going to find him." Alto said turning and walking off.

"Alto!" Lisette called out. "Wait there's someone-"

It was too late, a large armored knight barred Alto's path. He was a giant of a man, standing a good six and a half feet tall and clad entirely in steel grey armor. It was thick and bulky and there were very few gaps in it. Parts of the armor had yellow edges, giving it a slightly more intimidating look. The left shoulder armor was considerably larger than the right one, indicating that the giant carried a shield with it and the larger armor was an extension of the defense. The giant wore underclothes dyed in the colors of the Royal family. On his belt, the giant wore a dagger, that was most likely an heirloom based off the design of its jewel encrusted hilt. The man wore no helm, exposing his short cropped brown hair with the sides shaved close to his skull. He had green eyes and aristocratic features, but not nearly as soft as Klaus'. Alto could see slight dents and scratches in the armor. It was well cared for, but this armor had seen and survived combat before. The giant was glaring at Alto disapprovingly.

"I do not approve of those who break ranks without permission." The giant rumbled.

"I don't care!" Alto snapped. "I'm not a member of your knights!" The giant blinked at that. "I'm going to speak to Klaus."

"There is no way I could allow a mere child to speak to the commander." The giant stated, crossing his arms.

"Um, who are you…?" Lisette asked as she stood beside Alto.

"My name is Archibald." The giant stated. "Twenty-eighth head of the Archibald house, protectors of this kingdom for ages!" There was definitely pride in his voice as he spoke. "My job here is to provide direct assistance to Commander Klaus." He bowed to Lisette. "Welcome to the Royal Capital, Lady Water Witch."

"Witch…" Lisette looked uncomfortable being called a Witch.

"Her Majesty was delighted to hear of your existence." Archibald continued. "Be sure to hold your head high when you approach the castle."

"The castle…?" Lisette asked. "We're going to the castle!?"

"If she goes, I go too!" Alto said.

"Hm?" Archibald looked at Alto. Are you her servant boy?"

"I'm no servant!" Alto snapped. "I'm Alto. Lisette's family."

"Does he speak the truth, Lady Witch?" Archibald asked.

Lisette nodded. "Yes, It's true."

"In that case, I suppose you may come along, boy." Archibald said, arrogance reeling off his tongue.

Alto had had enough of people like Archibald and Klaus speaking down to him. "My name's not 'boy'." He snarled. "It's Alto."

"You must earn the honor of being addressed by name, boy." Archibald scowled.

Alto had enough. His fist snapped out with a Force infused punch to the arrogant man's face. The punch caught Archibald off guard and stunned all who saw it. Archibald staggered back from the force of the blow. Alto moved like lightning and tripped the giant, who collapsed on his back. Alto snatched the dagger off the knight's belt and held it to his neck. Archibald froze, as did all the guards that had started to advance.

"Now you listen here, you conceited prick." Alto hissed. "Insult myself or my sister again, and it will be the last words you ever utter." He pressed the dagger deeper into Archibald's flesh. "The only reason I haven't killed you for your stupidity and arrogance is the fact that an unexpected death would cast a slight pall on our meeting with the queen."

"What makes you think that you'll even meet the queen after this!?" Archibald demanded.

"The only way Lisette will meet with the queen is if I'm there." Alto hissed. "We don't trust any of you. And have no reason to do so. The _only_ reason we're here is because Klaus forced us to be. If he hadn't, we'd be out there tracking down Hilda for what she did."

Alto stepped back, and allowed Archibald to stand. The guards made to arrest Alto, but Archibald waved them off. He glared at Alto before extending his hand. Rather than hand it, Alto lightly tossed it to him, hilt first. The reason for that was politics of a sort. Alto, by his actions, was stating that he didn't trust the Royal Capital and that he would be very willing to kill to protect himself and Lisette. Archibald's extended hand was basically asking Alto to give in in the face of being outnumbered, a challenge. Alto's reaction was proving that he could handle himself and was not about to trust so easily.

Archibald sighed as he sheathed his dagger. "Well then, let us proceed."

As they walked towards the castle, Alto expected to be berated by Lisette, but strangely, no reprimand came from her. She was too overwhelmed by all the sights of Lambert.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once inside the castle, they entered the great entrance hall. "We are now at the center of the Regnant Kingdom: Lambert Castle." Archibald explained.

"It's so big…" Alto murmured, slightly overwhelmed by the hallway's opulence. "Our entire village could fit in this room."

Archibald turned to the white clad knight that was approaching them and saluted. "Commander Klaus! As you ordered, I have brought the Lady Witch!"

"Good work, Archibald." Klaus replied, returning the salute.

"Furthermore, this boy is accompanying her…" Archibald continued.

Klaus' face flickered for a split-second before it returned to his normal smile. It happened so fast, that Alto nearly missed it. "Alto is not a problem." Klaus reassured Archibald. "He was involved in the incident as well." Klaus sighed. "It seems he was left off the report. Remind me to scold that messenger."

"Yes, Sir!" Archibald saluted again.

"We were brought here without any kind of explanation…" Alto interjected, causing both knights to turn to him. "Care to explain now? We would appreciate some type of information."

Klaus sighed again, a slight frown now present. "It has been chaotic here as well. My apologies for not explaining sooner." Klaus' face returned to its regular gentle smile. "There are things I must tell you before you meet with Her Majesty."

"Her Majesty?" Alto asked.

"There is only one with that title in this kingdom." Archibald interrupted. "Queen Anastasia III."

"W-We're going to see the queen!?" Lisette squeaked.

"Be sure to refer to her as 'Her Majesty'." Archibald instructed. "Rudeness is unacceptable." He glared at Alto in particular when he said that. Alto nodded slightly, accepting the reprimand without complaint. It would not do to insult the queen in her own castle. That was a mistake very few would live to make again, if they lived at all after doing so. He had no intention of pissing off royalty, especially in his current situation.

"I-I'm sorry…" Lisette mistook Archibald's glare for being aimed at her.

"Haha, no need to worry." Klaus chuckled, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "Her Majesty is very kind." He smiled gently again. "You will be fine, as long as you answer the questions asked of you."

"Fine, but I reserve the right to interfere if Lisette becomes overwhelmed." Alto cut in, knowing that the political sharks of the Royal Court would pounce if they smelled blood.

Klaus nodded in agreement. "Of course."

"Why are we going to see her, though?" Alto questioned.

"That is simple." Klaus answered. "It is because of Lisette." Alto's eyebrow rose. "She will be the key to saving the world." Klaus continued.

"M-Me…?" Lisette stuttered. "Save the world!?" She shook her head rapidly. "There has to be some mistake. I'm just a-" Klaus cut her off.

"You were just a girl, but as of yesterday, you are the Water Witch."

"The Water Witch…?" Lisette echoed.

"Klaus." A new voice spoke up behind the two knights. "Have the aforementioned people arrived yet?" It was a cultured one, but Alto could hear even more arrogance in this voice than in Archibald's voice. The two knights turned to the new speaker.

He was the same height as Klaus. He had a long buttoned up green coat on with a high, embroidered gold collar. The coat was curiously, significantly longer on the left side than it was on the right side. The shoulders had black stripes with gold borders that started at under the collar and went down the arms, stopping halfway between shoulder and elbow. On the left breast of the coat, several medals were hung. He wore green pants, the same hue as the coat and short black boots. His hair was short cropped and black in color, stylized into slicked back spikes as were his sideburns. A short goatee adorned his chin. He had brown eyes that looked though a pair of small glasses. He wore a simple, thin, black shoulder sash the wrapped from his left hip to his right shoulder. Attached to the sash was a rapier with a simple hilt, it was likely that the sword was ceremonial rather than combat functional.

"Ah, Regent Elmar." Klaus said. "Yes, they are right here."

"Then hurry to the audience chamber." Elmar commanded. "We cannot keep Her Majesty waiting."

"Understood." Klaus replied. "Right away."

"So, this is the Water Witch…" Elmar said as he examined Lisette.

"I-I'm Lisette, Sir." Lisette said.

"You may be but a girl, but a Witch is a Witch." Elmar stated. "Deceitful to the core." With that, he turned and walked away.

"What was that about?" Alto asked aloud. Making sure that the retreating Elmar could hear him. "How rude!"

"Sorry for that, Lisette." Klaus apologized. "The regent can be quite difficult."

"I-It's OK…" Lisette said.

"Don't let people walk all over you, Lisette." Alto admonished.

"Sorry…" Lisette said.

"Alright then." Klaus interjected. "Lisette, Alto… Let us go see Her Majesty."

Klaus led the two teens to the audience chamber. It was even more opulent and gaudy than the entrance hall. A long red carpet stretched from the raised dais of the throne to the doorway that Alto had just entered. There were several large windows allowing lots of sunlight into the room. Golden chandeliers hung from a golden ceiling. But what drew Alto's eye, was the throne. Or more accurately what was behind the gold and white throne. The wall behind it looked like a massive pipe organ minus the keyboard. The pipes were gold and there were a lot of them.

Klaus motioned for the two teens to bow as he announced them. Lisette bowed deeply, while Alto only inclined his head.

"I, Klaus of the Regnant Knights, have arrived with the Witch Lisette." Klaus declared.

"Splendid." Regent Elmar said. "Raise your head."

Alto and Lisette did so, and saw the reigning monarch for the first time. The queen was quite beautiful. Her face was aristocratic, but softer than Klaus, Archibald, and Elmar's features. There were no blemishes on her face and it appeared that she only used the faintest amount of makeup to enhance her stunning natural beauty. She looked young, no more than twenty at best. She had green eyes that sparkled like emeralds. Her soft blond hair was done up in a simple style. On her head was the Royal Crown. She wore an elaborate gown that hugged her torso accenting her slim figure, womanly curves, and high C-Cup breasts by exposing much of the top of her cleavage. The gown was mostly white with gold trim on the torso area. From the waist down the gown was a soft shimmering golden color that softly sparkled in the sunlight. The gown had long wide sleeves. Attached to the back of her attire was a long, floor-length, white cape with gold trim. She sat upon her throne gazing down at the two teens before her.

"So this woman is Queen Anastasia…" Lisette whispered to Alto.

"Mind your manners, Witch." Regent Elmar snapped with an outraged look on his face. "Speak only when Her Majesty speaks to you."

"M-My apologies…!" Lisette squeaked out.

"Elmar." The queen said, the rebuke in her tone was obvious to all and a small frown on her beautiful face. Her voice was soft and Alto would have called it musical if not for her displeased tone. "There is no need to be so critical." She gestured to Alto and Lisette. "Look you have scared Lisette." A mischievous gleam appeared in her eyes. "And it looks like her companion is severely annoyed with you."

Elmar tried to regain his composure. "This is a formal audience ritual." He said stiffly. "It must be performed properly."

Alto suppressed a snort unsuccessfully, though to be fair, he didn't try all that much. The sound drew attention to him and all present were now aware of his feelings on the matter. "I think someone is getting above their station." Alto mused. "Imagine a common noble trying to tell a queen what to do."

Queen Anastasia nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling. "Regent Elmar, in such a situation in the future, please remember your station." The regent cringed both at the admonishment and her tone. "But in this formal audience, there can be no objections if I am the one to speak first, is there?"

"That is not-" The Regent started, but was quickly cut off as the queen raised her hand, effectively silencing him before turning back to Alto and Lisette.

"Lisette. You and…" The queen trailed off, looking at Alto expectantly.

"I am Alto, milady." Alto answered the unspoken question, inclining his head slightly. "Lisette's adopted brother and current guardian." Many were taken aback by the statement; Alto was in effect stating that any who tried to harm Lisette either physically or emotionally, would answer to him.

The queen smiled. "I am sure your journey has been tiresome. Thank you for coming." She indicated the regent. "This is my Regent, Elmar. He and military officer Klaus are my most trusted advisors."

Alto snorted and scowled deeply. Something that was neither unnoticed nor ignored by the queen. "Is something wrong?" The queen asked.

"I just happen to have a low opinion of both of your advisors." Alto said with a shrug. Both men stiffened, Elmar scowled and Klaus lost his smile.

The queen narrowed her eyes. "And why is that?"

Alto didn't flinch. "Your Regent could use a refresher course in common courtesy, but my ire is aimed at your military officer."

The queen was confused. She could understand his not being too fond of Elmar based on the man's attitude, but she couldn't understand the teen's anger at Klaus. "What has Commander Klaus done that has earned him your ire?" She asked.

Alto snorted. "Only the fact that he _let_ Hilda turn our village into crystal." Silence ensued.

All in the room were visibly shocked at the accusation. Even Regent Elmar could not keep the shock from his face. The queen's face was no better. "I am sure that you are mistaken." She said. "Klaus would never-"

"He would and did." Alto interrupted, drawing shocked looks as he _had_ just interrupted a reigning monarch. "When Hilda first began singing, I could hear his men surround the village. They made no effort to conceal themselves." Before anyone could defend Klaus, Alto continued. "I am well known as the best tracker, hunter, and swordsman in the entire village of Mithra and the surrounding area. While my swordsman claim might not carry much weight around here, you cannot discount the fact that as a tracker and hunter, I am able to hear and see things that people who are not would miss. His knights moved around the village, to me they were loud and clear, even with Hilda singing. Their movements were loud and their stealth was sloppy and pathetic _at best_!" No one dared interrupt, they were hanging on to his every word. "It was only after I had nearly killed her companion, a young man named Dante that Hilda stepped forward to engage me and Klaus chose then to make his presence known." There were several gasps at the mention of Dante; apparently he was well known. "If Klaus had chosen to attack Hilda before she could start singing, our village might have been spared! Thus, he has earned nothing but my contempt for his inaction despite his claims otherwise."

"I see…" The queen looked troubled at Alto's tale. And what was worse was that she could not dismiss it so easily as this was a firsthand account. And what he said concerning hunters and trackers was true. Whenever she had gone hunting, her own hunters did have training to have more acute senses, Alto's senses were probably better as while the royal hunters hunted mainly for sport, Alto was tracking and hunting to feed his family; if they weren't good, they didn't eat.

The queen shook her head, clearing her thoughts. "We shall discuss your conduct later Commander." She glared at Klaus who gulped, it was not likely to be a good discussion for him, considering the young woman's furious expression. Queen Anastasia turned back to Alto and Lisette. "Now Lisette. I have waited long for the Water Witch to appear."

"May I ask a question, Your Majesty?" Lisette asked quickly. "Just what is a Witch? What am I?"

Queen Anastasia smiled gently. "Witches are ones who have been chosen by the Qualia."

Lisette looked confused at the unfamiliar term. "Qualia…?"

Anastasia nodded. "On this continent, there exist jewels called Qualia. There are five in total: Water, Wind, Fire, Earth, and Time." Seeing the two teens paying rapt attention, the queen continued. "By absorbing a Qualia into her body, a girl gains the power of song, or magic, and becomes a Witch. Qualia reside in highly empathetic girls." Alto mentally nodded at that. In his old life as Revan, those with a connection to the Force usually were extremely empathetic. "If a girl loses her empathy, that qualia will search for another."

Now that little tidbit of information surprised Alto. He'd never heard of such a thing occurring in his life as Revan, but then again, this was a different universe and Revan did not know all the secrets of the Force, nor would he ever presume to. There were after all countless religions devoted to it and many could do things that the others believed to be impossible. So, it was not out of the realm of possibility that one religion in his original dimension could have done the same or something similar to what the queen was describing.

"The Qualia have passed through generations in this manner." Queen Anastasia continued, breaking Alto from his musings. "However, the Water Qualia had not been seen for a very long time. That is, not until you showed up, Lisette."

"But I don't know why-" Lisette began before Alto interrupted.

"The pendant…" Alto said slowly. "It became a part of you."

"I see…" Klaus mused aloud. "That must have been the Water Qualia."

"B-But…" Lisette started.

"Be that as it may, there is no proof." Regent Elmar cut in. "Your Majesty, we must first confirm that this girl is indeed a Witch."

"C-Confirm?" Lisette asked.

"Medea!" Elmar called out. "Enter!" A side door opened and all eyes turned to see a figure enter.

Alto's jaw fell to the floor at the sight of the woman that entered the room. _She was practically nude_! What clothes she was wearing consisted of two purple ribbons attached to a loose collar that trailed down her front to barely cover her high B-Cup breasts, leaving ninety percent of her torso exposed. A long veil covered her ass and vaginal area, exposing her pale and creamy skin. She had very long light purple hair that fell to just below her butt. But her face quickly drew Alto's attention. Her features were soft, but her eyes were covered by two wide deep purple ribbons that wrapped around her head, a small charm was attached to the ribbons and lay between where her eyes would be had they been visible. Alto wondered if she could see through the ribbons or if she was blind as the ribbons seemed to indicate. She had long gold ribbons stretched from her wrists to her belt. She looked more like a Zeltron seductress (And Revan had more than a little experience with Zeltrons in his lifetime. Their natural aptitude towards seduction made them the perfect beings to spy on corrupt politicians, especially when Revan was at war with the Republic. But many of his female Zeltron spies always tried to seduce him in any way they could. This had led to more than a few awkward situations during the war.) than a member of the Royal Court.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts before they could delve further into debauchery, Alto observed the woman more closely. Her stance screamed seduction, but her walk set him on edge. He steps were carefully measured, not a single movement was wasted. The walk of a predator. Very few people her age, and Alto believed her to be about 20-years-old, could move like that. She undoubtedly had some form of training, likely as an assassin if he was any judge. She had almost no presence, even to Alto's senses. Very few beings could erase their presence in the Force, and those that could were almost exclusively assassins or Jedi/Sith. And as Alto was the only one on the planet besides the Witches that could use the Force, Alto felt confident in his assumption that she had some training as an assassin.

The woman's smile grew larger slightly as she approached. A soft, almost musical chuckle emanated from her as she got close to the group. She stopped next to Lisette and bowed to the queen.

"Thank you for coming, Medea." The queen said.

"I had to rush over when I heard our precious bluebird had been found." The strange woman replied, a smile on her face.

' _Bluebird?_ ' Alto thought bemusedly, but making sure to keep his thoughts from showing on his face. ' _A rather interesting way of referring to a Witch._ '

"This is Medea, our court musician." Queen Anastasia said, indicating the new arrival. "She is a music expert."

Medea turned to face Lisette. "So this is the girl…" Medea said before a musical chuckle sprang from her lips. "What a lovely little thing."

' _Oh boy…_ ' Alto thought in exasperation and bemusement as he watched Medea circle a very nervous Lisette before stopping in front of her. ' _She's a flirt._ ' In fact, Medea reminded him exactly of how some of his female Zeltron spies had subtly tried to entice him into their beds. It was fun to banter with such people, but in this case, Alto had no way to tell if she was serious or not. It would be interesting to find out.

"A Witch can perform magic through song." Medea continued. "Think you can sing for me?"

"S-Sing?" Lisette stuttered. "I can't… I don't know how…"

"Oh, but you can." Medea's soft, smooth, and seductive voice replied, as the young woman continued to smile at the nervous teen in front of her. "Close your eyes and dive within." Medea instructed. "Empty the depths of your heart."

Alto raised an eyebrow at that. Medea's instructions sounded like a form of meditation to him.

"Lisette, please try." Klaus urged, taking Lisette's hand and Alto's eyes narrowed.

"That's enough from you!" Alto glared at Klaus, who decided to back away rather than start something and potentially get him in even more trouble with the queen. Satisfied that Klaus was cowed for the moment, Alto turned to Lisette. "Remember what I taught you, Lisette." Alto instructed. "Clear your mind, empty it of all distractions before focusing inward."

"…A-All right." Lisette was still nervous, but closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Medea turned to face Alto who was next to her. Alto shrugged and whispered one word just loud enough for her to hear. "Meditation."

Medea nodded, her visible features taking on a look of understanding before both turned to watch Lisette.

"Just close my eyes and…" Lisette muttered as she clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

"Let's see if she can…" Alto whispered so low that even Medea's ears strained to hear him.

Lisette began singing. The tune reminded Alto of a calm flowing river. It was actually quite lovely, causing a small smile of both pride and serenity to appear on Alto's face.

"So this is song…" Regent Elmar remarked. "How bizarre…"

Alto spared the man a glare and briefly directed his Force presence at the pompous man, causing him to stumble back.

"This melody is truly superb." Queen Anastasia said in awe. "I can feel it in my heart."

"Yes, Lisette…" Medea smiled widely. "Now, bare yourself-"

Medea was cut off as Lisette's song came to an abrupt end. The reason being that a fit of coughs wracked Lisette's body.

"What's wrong!?" Klaus demanded as a frown appeared on Alto's face.

' _Did the Qualia not properly bond to her?_ ' Alto wondered. ' _Or is it something else?_ '

"Are you alright, Lisette!?" Alto asked aloud as he approached the panting girl.

"Can't… sing…" Lisette gasped out, staggering slightly. Alto reached out and grabbed her shoulders, steadying her as a look of concern appeared on his face.

"No…" Klaus muttered, but Alto still heard him. "This can't be…"

Alto's eyes narrowed imperceptibly, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Medea's stance stiffen at Klaus's words. ' _What's he up to?_ ' Alto wondered. ' _He seems far too interested in Lisette's condition than a simple military commander should be. And why can't I sense his power? He's holding a great deal back._ ' Alto was holding back a great deal of his power as well. But while he was doing so out of sheer necessity to not overwhelm the people around him, and given his history it was no surprise, but why should a simple military officer, albeit one with a high rank, like Klaus feel the need to do the same, especially when he was confronting someone like Hilda. ' _For that matter, how the kriff did he learn such a technique and where? He's starting to look more and more suspicious._ '

Alto's thoughts were interrupted by the Regent. "If she were a true Witch, she would be able to sing flawlessly!" He declared with a sneer. Alto could practically feel the arrogance and pompousness emanating from that statement.

With a frown, the queen turned to consult the court musician. "What are your thoughts Medea?"

Medea also frowned. "Well I've never heard of a Witch who can't sing." A thoughtful look flashed across her visible features. "However, she did sing for a moment. There is no doubt Lisette is a Witch."

"Are you sure you are not mistaken?" The Regent questioned.

"Regent," Medea said with an amused smile on her face. "are you suggesting that I'm lying to Her Majesty the Queen?" The question was lightly asked, but Alto could hear the venomous undertone in it and smirked, still holding Lisette.

"Humph…" The Regent huffed, trying, and failing in Alto's opinion, to not look like a fool. "Th-That is enough! You may go!"

Medea giggled lightly, having accomplished her goal in the short verbal spar between her and Elmar. "Well then, I will be taking my leave now, Your Majesty." With another bow, she left the chamber.

' _That woman is quite possibly the most dangerous person here._ ' Alto thought as he watched her leave, releasing Lisette who was now strong enough to stand on her own. ' _I'd better not let my guard down around her. Who knows what she might do to me if given the chance?_ '

The queen's frown had diminished slightly as she spoke. "The current situation regarding Lisette must be dealt with…" She smiled gently. "But for now, let us rejoice in the birth of a new Witch." Anastasia turned to Lisette. "Lisette, there is no doubt that you are the Water Witch. And… you are the only hope we have of saving this kingdom."

"Saving Regnant…?" Lisette's eyes grew wide.

Alto frowned, but covered it up as soon as it appeared. It was not smart to place all hope on an untrained girl and pit her against an opponent such as Hilda. It was a good way to kill someone.

"Indeed." Queen Anastasia nodded, a hard look on her face now. "From Hilda, the evil Witch of Destruction."

' _I doubt that Hilda is truly evil._ ' Alto mused. ' _If she was, her Qualia would abandon her. The queen's own words say that if a Witch loses her empathy, the Qualia within her will seek out a new wielder, so why has Hilda's not left her?_ ' Alto then noticed a slightly smug look on Klaus's face, expertly hidden to the untrained eye. Alto's eyes narrowed imperceptibly. ' _So, he's behind it huh? I'll need to find some way of breaking his influence over the queen. It won't help me if I just start accusing a respected figure of treason. I need to start fracturing his reputation and make his words hold less sway. But how to do it is the question?_ ' Alto wondered. ' _Currently his rank and reputation are impeccable, though his actions in Mithra will be of great use, especially if the common folk hear about it. Rumors will have to be spread anonymously. Any pubs that soldiers and commoners frequent will be a good place to start._ ' Alto decided. ' _Better find some way of joining his squad, especially if he tries to get Lisette to join it like I'm sure he has set into motion through manipulation._ '

"This Kingdom is in grave danger." The queen's words broke Alto from his scheming. "Hilda has used her Song of Ruin to crystalize towns across the land. Gathering her followers, she formed a coalition called the Harbingers. Almost a third of the kingdom has already fallen by her hand."

Alto let out a low whistle at that. Regnant was the largest kingdom on the continent, so Hilda crystalizing a third of it was impressive indeed. ' _Although, I wonder how much was helped by Klaus acting similar to the way he did in Mithra?_ ' Alto wondered cynically. The Regent and Klaus glared at Alto for the interruption. Alto ignored them as the queen waved both off before continuing. After all, anybody who didn't know that information already would surely be shocked.

"As a result… your town of Mithra has also been enveloped in crystal. "The queen glared again at Klaus, signifying that she was still angry about Klaus's actions aiding Hilda. The military officer looked decidedly uncomfortable at the queen's glare.

"They actually think they're saving people!?" Lisette asked incredulously.

Alto however was pensive about the idea. From a certain point of view, the people were saved; they felt no pain or suffering, they did not fight, they didn't age, they were in suspended animation. Although he doubted that many people would consider that being saved.

"W-Wait a second!" Lisette said a though seemingly occurring to her. "Why can't Hilda be stopped? Isn't this the Royal Capital? There are so many soldiers here… so why?"

"Likely because she keeps moving and thus is hard to track." Alto answered, causing all to look at the young man. "She likely has her followers keep a large portion of the soldiers busy while she moves around more free to act without worrying that she will be impeded too much by the military."

Klaus nodded at Alto's explanation. "Of course, we are treating Hilda as a high-priority criminal."

"Then why not-" Lisette demanded before the queen interrupted.

"Stopping Hilda will not save this kingdom." A large frown was now present on the young ruler's face. "Restoring the citizens who have been crystalized will."

Alto nodded slowly. But privately he wondered about that. If the citizens were restored and Hilda not stopped, she would begin again and make her enemies waste more time and resources undoing her magic, but he could see the value in restoring people and towns from crystallization.

"…!" Lisette's eyes were wide.

"Then… there's a way to save them?" Alto questioned.

"Perhaps." The queen said. "It involves a holy song… the Anthem."

"Anthem…?" Lisette asked.

"It is a celebratory song that is said to lift any and all curses." Queen Anastasia explained. "Seeing as crystallization is a type of curse cast by Hilda…" The young queen's face took on a determined look. "The spell on the citizens should break if we recite the Anthem."

Lisette looked very hopeful. "My mom, too? And all the other villagers?"

Alto was highly suspicious. If such a song was known to the Royal Court, surely the Harbingers would know as well. Alto could sense a spy within the midst of the Royal Guards, but decided not to point them out. After all, spies could be fed false information, but Alto could also use this to spread more word of Klaus's actions in Mithra. But Alto was more concerned with the Anthem; Why hadn't it been used or even spoken of before now? Alto suspected Klaus was to blame. He was more akin to a puppet master than a soldier. And puppet masters like Klaus were not to be underestimated. Especially one in such a high position as Klaus was in the Court. Alto needed to reduce Klaus's influence before whatever he planned came to fruition. Alto had no proof, but he was beginning to think that 'God' had an agent on the planet and that it was Klaus, but he would have to wait and see, it was way too early to make such an assumption. He would remain quiet for now, but his ears and eyes would be open. He returned his mind to the present and focused on the queen as she smiled at Lisette.

"Of course." Anastasia said.

"Then…" Lisette looked more determined than ever. "I'll do whatever it takes! If… If I can sing this Anthem, everyone will be saved, right?"

"Your enthusiasm is welcome." Klaus said. "However, the Anthem is not a solo piece."

Alto looked at Klaus. "What do you mean?" He asked carefully, his senses were tingling, even as an advisor, this Anthem sounded like a Royal Family secret. So… how did Klaus know about it?

"It is an ensemble piece." The queen explained. "We will need four Witches to perform it."

"Four Witches…?" Lisette asked.

' _So, that explains part of it._ ' Alto thought. ' _If Four are needed and one Witch was rogue and one Qualia hasn't been seen for a millennium, it's no wonder they didn't speak of it. If the Water Witch could not be found, even if they had the other three, the Anthem would still be useless. But still, spreading news like that around might have helped them find the Water Witch sooner if one had merely been in hiding, but Hilda would no doubt have been aware of their plans and made every effort to kill the current Witches in order to stop them._ '

"We have already sent word requesting the presence of the Fire Witch." Regent Elmar spoke up. "The Wind is to the south, and we are currently searching for the Earth."

"The Water Witch was the only one we had no information on." Klaus explained.

"But now that you have come, we can finally commence the Anthem Program." The queen proclaimed. "Would you lend us your strength?" She asked Lisette.

"I… don't have much experience with these kinds of things…" Lisette said before her face turned determined. "But I'll do anything to save my mom and the others!"

Alto frowned slightly, still more than a little suspicious. "Lisette…" But before he could say anything more, Queen Anastasia spoke.

"You have my thanks, Lisette." Her smile was joyous now. "Well then…" Her face took on a regal look. "By the names of the hero Elcrest and Queen Anastasia… I hereby declare the Anthem Program officially launched!" She turned to her two advisors. "Elmar, you shall continue to assist me here in Lambert." Elmar nodded as she turned to her other advisor. "Klaus. Assemble the 9th Regiment and obtain the remaining Witches."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Klaus's face was smug for less than a second, but Alto spotted it easily. Klaus's plans seemed to be on track… for the moment, but not for long if Alto had anything to say about it.

"I will do as I am commanded." Regent Elmar stated, standing tall.

"Lisette." Queen Anastasia turned to the young girl. "I apologize for placing this heavy burden on your shoulders. However, you are our last hope. I beg of you… help us!"

"Of course!" Lisette answered before Alto could caution her.

The Queen smiled before turning to Klaus. "Klaus, before you leave, we _will_ speak about your actions in Mithra." There was no mistaking the steel in her tone.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Klaus nodded stiffly.

The Queen nodded and strode from the room.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Klaus turned to Alto and Lisette. "Now the formal Audience is over. Archibald."

"Present, Sir!" Archibald saluted.

"Her Majesty has called for the 9th Regiment to assemble. Please prepare the selection exam."

"Ah… the time is finally upon us!" Archibald looked quite enthusiastic. "As you wish, Commander!" With that, Archibald saluted before turning on his heel and leaving.

Klaus looked at Lisette and Alto. "Do you two see what is happening now?"

Alto nodded. Very subtle manipulation was going on here. But he could understand what was going on, on the surface.

"We have to get three more Witches in order to undo the crystallization." Lisette summarized. "And I'll need to be able to sing by then."

"So, you'll need practice on top of figuring out why you can't currently sing." Alto mused.

"Lisette will join the 9th Regiment and work alongside me." Klaus declared and Alto's eyes narrowed.

"What exactly is that?" Lisette asked.

"It is a knight squad under orders from Her Majesty to carry out the Anthem Program." Klaus answered. "Defeating the Harbingers and gathering the Witches are our top priorities."

"So what are you going to make Lisette do once she joins you?" Alto demanded protectively.

"She will help us with the Witches." Klaus said.

"By help, you mean she's going to fight?" Alto guessed.

"Indeed." Klaus nodded, with a frown on his face, not liking where this was going.

"…!" Lisette looked downcast at the news.

"We must overcome any obstacles that may block our path." Klaus declared. "Lisette may not be able to sing, but her magic is a valuable source of power."

"I'll be joining as well." Alto stated.

"Hm?" Klaus looked taken aback.

"I will be watching over Lisette." Alto said. "I promised her mother that I would. And I promised to help Lisette save the people of Mithra. Even if it means being forced to work alongside you," Alto glared at Klaus. "I will uphold my word. No harm shall come to Lisette."

"Alto…!" Lisette looked shocked at Alto's declaration.

"Your bravery is admirable, Alto." Klaus's fake smile didn't fool Alto for a second. "However, the 9th Regiment is an elite squad for only the most battle-hardened knights." He looked condescendingly at Alto. "An amateur like you would likely slow us down."

Alto's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You seem to forget that I nearly killed Dante. And the whole room gasped, so I would wager that he is fairly well known to spark such a reaction."

"…Ngh." Klaus could not refute the point. Dante was well known for his prowess as a warrior and had killed many elite soldiers in the past. But he quickly regained some composure. "Fine then. We will be holding a selection examination for the 9th Regiment tomorrow. You can try, but I doubt you will be able to succeed where many highly-trained soldiers will be vying for the same opportunity."

Alto smirked. "If they're anything like you, then I won't have a problem." His smirk grew positively feral. "After all, they let an incompetent fool become a commander."

"…Tch." Klaus scowled at the reminder of his inevitable chewing out from the queen. It would not be pleasant for him.

"Alto, no!" Lisette spoke up. "It's too dangerous…" Her voice trailed off as Alto glared at her.

"Don't try and stop me, Lisette." Alto snapped. "I made a promise to watch over you, and I _will_ uphold it."

"But…" Lisette tried again.

"Sorry, Lisette." Alto said. "But I will not stand down on this."

Lisette sighed. "You're always so impulsive when it comes to helping others…"

Alto smirked. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Not at all." A smile touched Lisette's face.

Klaus's chuckle brought their attention back to him. "It's nice to see siblings get along so well." A soldier walked up to the three.

"Excuse me, Commander!"

"Yes?" Klaus asked.

"The Mithra residents have all been transported to the treatment facility!" the soldier reported.

"Mom…!" Lisette murmured. "Is the treatment facility near here?" She asked.

The soldier nodded. "Yes, it is to the northwest of the castle. Please visit only during permitted hours."

"Thank you." Alto said. The soldier saluted and walked off.

"I suggest you two go there." Klaus said. "See the ones you must protect… as well as the reality of this kingdom."

"OK. Let's go Alto!" Lisette said as she headed for the exit.

"Yeah…" Alto said, before smirking at Klaus. "And I suggest you get ready for your meeting with Her Majesty. I think she might be just a little upset with you." Before Klaus could say anything to that, Alto had deliberately turned his back on the man and strode out of the room.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Treatment Facility…**

"So, this is the treatment facility." Lisette said as they entered the huge building. "There are so many people here."

"This is terrible…" Alto trailed off as he looked around. The building might have been a warehouse for all the so-called treatment. Every one of its multiple floors was packed with crystalized people. Researchers were wandering around making observation and trying various methods, but nothing seemed able to so much as scratch the crystal. "It's more like an internment camp than a treatment center." Revan had seen more than his share of those during the Mandalorian War.

"Where's my mom…?" Lisette asked as both looked around.

Alto finally pinpointed Rosa's presence. "Over here, Lisette." Lisette ran over and the two stared at the crystalized form of Rosa.

"Mom!" Lisette was almost hysterical. "She looks like she's in a lot of pain…!"

"Don't worry, Lisette." Alto said soothingly. "We'll cure her."

A child's voice rang out before Lisette could answer. "Moooooooooom!"

The pair turned to see a young boy weeping as he pounded on the crystalized form of a woman. Tears were pouring from his eyes. A middle-aged man placed a hand on his shoulder, likely a relative.

"Don't cry, Thomas!" The man said reassuringly. "Mom's still alive!"

"B-But she looks dead to me…" The boy sniffled.

"The queen will fix her, Thomas…" The man smiled. "Somehow. All we can do now is pray for Elc's divine protection."

"OK…" The boy sniffed, tears still coming from his eyes.

"It's… not just Mithra." Lisette said slowly. Alto shook his head as she continued. "There are more… So many more people have been crystalized."

"Hilda…" Alto said lowly. "Why would you do this?" He looked at Lisette. "But I wonder just how many of these people are like this because of Commander Klaus." Alto intentionally had his voice raised enough so that the grieving father and son, as well as the researchers could hear him.

"Lisette looked at him in shock. "Alto!"

"What?" Alto retorted inwardly smirking as he saw multiple people listening in. "You know that Klaus let Mithra be crystalized. The queen wasn't happy to hear that one of her most trusted advisors had _let_ Hilda turn a village to crystal. I wouldn't be surprised if he's done it before, but made sure that there were no witnesses, but he couldn't do that this time." Alto's inward smirk grew bigger as he saw the people starting to mutter. "The queen looked especially angry when she heard eyewitness testimony from a hunter that heard Klaus's soldiers surround Mithra before Hilda turned it to crystal and yet they made no move to stop or interrupt her singing." By now the muttering was getting uglier. Alto decided to up the ante a little. "I bet the queen is going to really chew him out for that, but I bet he'll still come out with that smug fake smile of his because of his political connections." At that the mood started to get really ugly; even some of the soldiers were looking upset at that.

Lisette decided that they should leave. "Come on, Alto." She tugged on his arm. "Let's go find someplace to sleep."

Alto's smirk went unseen as he allowed Lisette to lead him out of the building. The opening moves in the chess game had been made.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Later that Night…**

Alto stood at the observatory, leaning on the railing of the balcony and looking at the moon. "…"

Lisette came up beside him. "So, this is where you were." She huffed. "I was looking all over for you."

"Lisette…"

"Wow. I can see the whole city from here!" Lisette exclaimed as she looked out from the balcony. Suddenly, she looked a tad nervous. "Though I don't really like how high up it is…"

"Lisette… I'm sorry." Alto sighed.

"Huh? For what?" Lisette asked, confused at the sudden apology.

"For giving you that pendant and getting you involved in this…" Alto gestured around the two. "If I hadn't-"

"If it wasn't for that, we probably would have died back in Mithra." Lisette cut him off. She smiled. "Actually… I'm thankful."

Alto glanced at her. "Thankful?"

"I still don't know what Witches are, and I'm scared of fighting…" Lisette said. "But because I'm a Witch… I might be able to save Mom and the others! And not just them. Everyone in the world who needs help. That's how I feel."

Alto sighed. "Your strong, Lisette. But don't try to take the burden of the world on your shoulders alone. You'll only be overwhelmed."

Lisette smiled brightly. "But you'll be by my side, right?"

Alto nodded. "Yes. I will. I will pass the selection test tomorrow."

"Alto…" Lisette smiled. "I believe in you."

Alto smiled. "Thanks, Lisette."

"Isn't the test tomorrow?" Lisette asked. "You should get to bed."

"Yeah…" Alto said, gazing at the moon one more time. "I guess you're right."

"Good night, Alto." Lisette smiled.

"Good night." Alto replied as the two went back inside and went into their rooms.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **The Next Morning…**

Alto had woken up early so as not to miss the selection exam. He knew it was taking place at one of the training fields close to the castle, and thanks to using the Force to skim the minds of the guards, he knew which training field the selection exam was taking place on. Upon reaching the field, he was rather curious. No one seemed to be around yet.

"Is this where the exam's being held? Seems pretty empty…" Alto trailed off as he looked around. He wondered why the examiners were not at the field setting things up. Seeing no one around, Alto decided to call out to see if anyone was around, just not in sight yet. "ANYONE HERE!?" He yelled out.

A groan was his answer. "…Urghhh… What kind of moron is out here yelling this early in the morning?"

Alto turned to see the speaker. He was a young man with handsome features, looking to be around 25 years old, with dark blue eyes and dark orange hair. He wore tall black boots with red trim that reached midway up his shins. He wore black pants which were tucked into his boots. On the outside of his thighs, he had matching leather pouches to take the place of having pockets. He wore a white long sleeved shirt with baggy sleeves. Over the sleeves, he wore armored black bracers with silver trim, preventing the sleeves from impeding movement and getting in the way. He wore an orange vest over his shirt that had a black undershirt. The undershirt part of the vest was closed up, leaving the outer orange vest open. Over that, around his waist was two leather belts that crossed over each other from which multiple pouches hung. Also attached to the belts were several sheathed daggers and throwing knives.

Currently the young man was trying to glare at Alto. This was offset by the fact that he was clutching his head and wincing in pain. Judging from his slightly haggard appearance and bleary red eyes, the man had drunk quite a lot of alcohol last night and was suffering from a hangover.

"My apologies." Alto said in a much quieter voice.

"Urgh, my head…" The man groaned again. "I drank way too much yesterday… You mind keeping your voice down?"

"No problem." Alto replied, still in a soft voice. "I take it, you're one of the Royal Knights?"

"Hm?" The hungover man finally got a good look at Alto. "And who're you?"

"Name's Alto." Alto replied. "Here to take the selection exam?"

"You?" The young man peered at Alto incredulously. "Kinda young to be thinking of becoming a knight ain't ya?"

"My reasons are my own for the moment." Alto replied shortly.

The young man sighed. "Man, I really don't get people like you." He shrugged. "If you wanna be a knight so bad, you can trade spots with me any day."

Alto raised an eyebrow as a familiar voice came from behind the young man. "You must be joking…" Rusty winced as the loud voice played merry hell on his hangover. "You dare call yourself one of the honorable Regnant Knights, Rusty!?" Archibald glared at the young man. Alto noticed a change in the man's attire; on his right arm was a large black armored gauntlet, with a large spike extending from the middle of the knuckles. Alto had no doubt that it had mechanical insides designed to enhance the wearers strength man times, making it a fierce weapon as its armor could likely allow Archibald to block blades and shatter large boulders with it.

The newly named Rusty grimaced again. "Ngh… Why does everyone have to be so goddamn loud…?"

Ignoring that statement, Archibald's severe expression relaxed somewhat. "I have not seen you since Grenna."

"And I hope I'll never have to room with someone as loud as you again." Rusty snarked.

"I can say the same for you." Archibald replied. "Breaking curfew is bad enough, but bringing back a lady? Inexcusable!"

"Ugh." Rusty groaned. "There's nothing worse than a jealous, unpopular tightwad."

Alto was smirking at the entertainment. Archibald and Rusty appeared to be polar opposites of each other. Archibald being the by-the-books stern and uptight type and Rusty being the relaxed, go-with-the-flow, fun loving type. It was quite amusing to see such personalities in the same squad.

"Hey, uh… Alto, was it?" Rusty asked. "You wanna end up like him?" he jerked his thumb at his fellow knight.

"Not especially." Alto smirked.

"Ah…" Archibald finally noticed Alto. "The one from the other day. Are you lost?"

"He said he's here for the exam." Rusty said.

Alto nodded. "I will be joining the 9th Regiment in order to keep an eye on my sister." He said by way of an explanation.

"Sister…?" Rusty asked.

Alto nodded again. "My sister Lisette, is the new Water Witch."

Archibald interrupted. "Only the most elite knights apply to be members of the 9th Regiment."

"Elite?" Rusty asked before a smirk appeared on his face. "Don't you mean the rejects?"

"Are you referring to yourself, Rusty?" Archibald glared at him before turning back to Alto.

Before he could speak, Alto interrupted. "I _will_ be joining the 9th Regiment." A scowl appeared on his face, accompanied by a fierce glare, causing both knights to step back at its ferocity. "I don't trust you people to not try anything with my sister. And after what Klaus did, I certainly will not leave him alone with Lisette."

"Geez, kid!" Rusty exclaimed. "What'd the Commander do to piss you off so much!?"

Alto's scowl deepened. "He stood by and did nothing as Hilda turned our village to crystal." He bit out angrily.

"Oh…" Rusty had nothing to say to that.

Alto turned his scowl to Archibald. "We'll see how your so called 'elite' knights match up to me. After all…" His scowl turned to a feral grin. "I doubt they'd be a match for Dante, and I nearly killed him."

They were prevented from talking further as Klaus and Lisette approached the three. "You have done well in coming here." Klaus's smile was back in place.

"Alto…" Lisette looked at her pseudo-sibling.

"Rusty. Archibald." Klaus addressed the two knights. "He has permission to participate in today's selection exam."

"Yes, Sir!" Archibald saluted, looking slightly put out, but did not argue. Alto had to respect the man's professional attitude, but he knew that sometimes, such devotion to the rules was more of a hindrance than a help.

"…You freakin' serious?" Rusty asked.

Klaus nodded. "Her Majesty decided this herself"

Meanwhile Alto and Lisette were talking.

"You can do it Alto." Lisette smiled widely. "I'll be cheering for you!"

"Don't worry." Alto smiled gently. "This exam will be quite easy."

"I don't remember joining this team just so I could be a babysitter." Rusty complained.

"This is a serious mission, Rusty." Klaus admonished. "Please treat it as such."

"Yeah, yeah…" Rusty waved it off.

Several knights in full armor walked onto the field. "Is this where we're supposed to meet for the 9th Regiment selection exam?" One asked.

"Let's hurry up and start!" Another growled, hefting his weapon. "My spear craves some hack'n'slash action!"

' _Fool._ ' Alto thought. ' _On the battlefield, he'd be the first to die._ '

"Ah." Klaus said. "It seems the hopefuls have started to gather."

Archibald stepped forward as Klaus and Lisette went over to the sidelines. "The selection exam will now begin!" Archibald declared. "Participants, prepare for battle!"

"Well, well…" Rusty grinned. "Looks like it's time to play with some newbies."

' _So…_ ' Alto mused as he stepped back, giving himself plenty of room. ' _It looks like we have to face off against these two and survive in order to pass._ ' He smirked. ' _This will be easy!_ '

"What a bloodthirsty group…" Rusty commented as the hopeful applicants readied their weapons, all traces of his hangover were gone. "Let's end this quickly, Archie."

Archibald ignored Rusty. "I am not one to hold back." He said to the applicants. "Be sure to surrender before I hurt you too much." Alto held in a snort at that. Archibald adopted a ready stance as Rusty did the same, only drawing out a pair of sharp daggers, one held in a reverse grip.

One applicant stepped forward, brandishing his sword. "You dare underestimate me? Here I come!" With a roar, that sounded pathetic to Alto, he charged Rusty swinging wildly.

' _Fool._ ' Alto thought, shaking his head. ' _That was incredibly stupid. Those wild swings will only tire him out and for nothing, they're too wild to actually hit Rusty. He'll take him out no problem._ '

With contemptable ease, Rusty sidestepped the wild blow and counterattacked with his dagger, cutting deep into the foolish applicant's armor. The strikes were aimed at the joints and gaps in the armor and Rusty's aim was true. The dagger sank deep and drew blood. The applicant collapsed, bleeding and panting.

"Man, he's even more meat-headed than you, Archie." Rusty commented.

Archibald didn't reply. Instead he charged the spear wielding applicant and, before the applicant could even try to defend himself, Archibald had sunk the armored fist of his gauntlet into the applicant's stomach. The applicant was sent flying back into a wall on the far side of the training field. Slamming into the wall, he collapsed unconscious with a moan of pain.

"You think you can carry the honor of the 9th Regiment with such little skill!?" Archibald demanded.

' _Okay, THAT was impressive strength._ ' Alto thought with a raised eyebrow.

"M-Monster…!" Another applicant stuttered out, shaking in fear.

"It is not cowardly to retreat when faced with death." Archibald stated.

Alto snorted. "If that was supposed to scare me, then think again." Alto drew his sword. That seemed to inspire the other applicants as with yells, they charged the two examiners.

Rusty grinned. "My knife is real quick. You're gonna be dead meat if you can't dodge it!" With two quick cuts, he had incapacitated another applicant.

Archibald drew back his armored fist and readied his shield. "Prove yourselves to the Archibald family heirlooms; my gauntlet and shield, if you wish to pass." He aimed his fist at a charging applicant and punched forward. He must have activated a trigger mechanism, because the large knuckle spike expended forward like a speeding bullet and slammed into the approaching applicant.

The applicant had no time to react and the spike slammed into his breastplate which crumpled under the force of the impact. The spike quickly retracted back into the gauntlet as the applicant collapsed with a gasp of pain.

Not even stopping, the two knights decimated the rest of the applicants, until Alto was the only one that remained standing.

Archibald and Rusty stared at the teen, who had only drawn his sword as the last applicant besides himself had fallen to Rusty's daggers. "Why did you not attack with the others?" Archibald demanded.

Alto raised an eyebrow. "And be constrained by their bodies? I think not. Now I have more than enough room to maneuver and letting them attack you served a purpose."

Rusty quirked an eyebrow. "Which was…?"

Alto smirked. "By letting you deal with the cannon fodder, I let you tire yourselves out, even though you two didn't break a sweat, and I was able to observe your fighting styles."

"You believe yourself to be able to beat us, just because of that!?" Archibald demanded. "The arrogance!" With that, he charged.

Alto dodged out of the way of Archibald's punch and, with a step and a pivot, was behind the armored giant. "Never let an enemy take your back." So saying, Alto swung his sword and slammed the flat of the blade into Archibald's head, stunning him. Not even flinching, Alto's hand snapped out and snatched the throwing knife that was aimed at his shoulder before flicking it away.

Not allowing Rusty, who was shocked that someone had actually grabbed a throwing knife out of midair, time to recover, Alto ran at Rusty and began to attack. Rusty was forced to keep dodging and blocking Alto's precise and aimed attacks as Alto forced him to give ground. Experienced as he was, Rusty simply could not keep up with a lifetime of experience in fighting for long.

Archibald, by this time had recovered and moved to help his fellow knight. Alto saw this and moved so that the approaching Archibald could not take his back and kept the two in front of him. As the two moved to attack, Klaus's voice rang out. "That is enough!"

Rusty sighed in relief, but a grin on his face. "Time up already? I was just starting to have some fun."

"Rusty, lower your blade." Archibald said, lowering his gauntlet.

"All right, all right…" Rusty replied.

"Not a bad fight, Rusty." Alto commented as he sheathed his sword.

"It appears that you are the only one left standing, Alto." Klaus said. "Fine work indeed."

"We started with a buncha knights, but this kid's the only one left…"

"They were the Royal Knight elites, as well…" Archibald scowled. "How pathetic."

"Rusty, what do you think of Alto's abilities?" Klaus asked.

"He's amazing. His attacks are multi-dimensional and near impossible to predict. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was a soldier already. He's also got extremely good reflexes, not many people can catch a throwing knife in midair after being thrown, much less when they're not even watching it. He's also got a very good style and moves fluidly. He passes." Rusty said.

"He was the only one with the spirit befitting of the 9th Regiment. He could have killed me, but instead chose to stun me instead. It appears you are more than worthy of being addressed by name." He bowed. "My apologies, Alto."

"Very well." Klaus said. "You have passed the exam. You are hereby a knight of the 9th Regiment."

Alto smirked. "There was never any doubt."

"Yay!" Lisette cheered. "Congratulations, Alto!"

"Consider this my official welcome to you, Alto." Klaus said. "Let us work together to protect those precious to us." Alto inclined his head.

"Well then…" Rusty said. "Now that the exam's over and done with, let's go find us some Witches."

Klaus shook his head. "While Alto may be ready, Lisette will need to train first. Come with me you two." As they followed the commander, Klaus continued. "You need to get more accustomed to battle."

"This training…" Lisette asked. "What are we going to do?"

"Hmm…" Klaus looked thoughtful. "There have been monster sightings in the forest to the east. We shall go there and take care of them."

"The monsters in the eastern forest are weak. "Archibald commented. "Perfect for you to train."

"Seriously…?" Rusty complained. "How boring…"

"Well, that will be all for today." Klaus said. "Archibald, Lisette, and I will go to inform Her Majesty of the news." Alto narrowed his eyes, but didn't protest as Klaus was now his commander. "Rusty. Show Alto around the barracks and prepare for the mission."

"Oh boy… Here comes the babysitting." Rusty groaned.

"What was that?" Klaus glared at his subordinate.

"Oh, nothing." Rusty said quickly. "Sure, sure. I'll do it."

Klaus smirked. "I thought so." With that Klaus led Archibald and Lisette off the field.

Rusty sighed. "C'mon, let's go. Keep up, Alto."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **At the Knight's Barracks…**

"Well then, these are the knight squad barracks." Rusty said.

The barracks were rather lavish for knights, but not overly so. The building was two stories high and a staircase led from the second-floor balcony to the roof where a small training field was set up.

"Impressive." Alto commented.

"Don't get your hopes up." Rusty advised. "C'mon, in you go."

The inside was decorated like the inside of the castle, but minus the gold and valuable items. Knight statues and tall candle holders dotted the hallways and there were rich royal purple carpets on the floors. The doors looked to be made of fine wood and artfully decorated.

"Rather lavish for a simple barracks." Alto commented.

"Eh." Rusty shrugged. "It'll look pretty normal to you soon." He indicated a door. "This way, let's go."

The room turned out to be an average sized room with a bed, table and chairs. A trunk was at the foot of the bed for storing clothes. The room looked like it was a storage room at one point as there was shelves with various items on them. Alto spotted books, weapons, barrels, boxes, and filled sacks on the shelves next to which a vertical chest was placed, likely for hanging clothes or storing armor. It was simple, but more than enough for Alto.

"This'll be your room from now on. Use it however you want!" Rusty explained.

"Looks like a storage room." Alto commented lightly.

"Cut us some slack." Rusty retorted. "That exam came out of nowhere. Just be glad you have a room at all." Rusty let out a sneeze. "It might be a bit dusty, but you know how to clean, yeah?"

Alto nodded. "I wasn't complaining, only observing."

"Right." Rusty said. "We'll be getting up bright and early tomorrow, so make sure you're prepared and rested." A large smile lit up his face. "And now, my babysitting assignment is all over! I think I'll take a bath to celebrate."

"…Right." Alto deadpanned.

"Oh!" Rusty said. "I almost forgot." He pointed to the trunk at the foot of the bed. "Your uniform is in there."

Alto opened the trunk. The uniform consisted of a red jacket with a black leather armor plate underneath, over a black shirt. It also had white armor with gold edges to be attached on various parts of his body, consisting of a pauldron for his left shoulder, and bracers for his arms, elbow guards, knee guards, and ankle guards. There were black and gray pants designed to be tucked into knee-high leather boots. The uniform was completed by black fingerless gloves.

"Not bad." Alto said.

"It's crap," Rust snorted. "But ruled are rules. The commander'll get on your ass if you're not wearing it."

"I see." Alto mused, already making plans to have some custom armor forged. "Thank you, Sir."

Rusty shuddered. "Don't call me that, it gives me the creeps. I'm Rusty, just plain old Rusty. Me and Archie are the same rank as you, so don't go getting all formal on us."

Alto nodded. "Good to know."

Rusty nodded. "Well I'm out of here kid. Going to take a bath before hitting the town." A lecherous grin spread over his face.

Alto spied it and immediately went into protective brother mode. "Just keep that stuff away from my sister, alright?" His voice took on a hard edge.

Rusty waved him off. "Don't worry, she's not my type; way too innocent and young for me."

Alto nodded. "Good."

"See ya, Alto." And with that, Rusty left, looking decidedly chipper.

Alto snorted and began getting his room organized.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **That Night…**

Alto wiped the sweat from his brow. Cleaning and organizing his new quarters had taken longer than he had thought, even with him using the Force to aid in the process.

A knock sounded on the door before Lisette's voice came from behind it. "Alto… can I come in?"

"Yeah." Alto said, turning to the door as Lisette entered.

Lisette sighed as she closed the door behind her, looking weary as she did so.

"What's wrong?" Alto asked. "Why the sigh and long face?"

"So much happened today…" Lisette answered.

Alto nodded. "No doubt about that." He sighed as well. "We were just simple villagers yesterday and now we're Royal Knights…"

"Yeah…" Lisette trailed off.

"That being said, be very careful around Klaus." Alto said. "I don't trust him. Especially after he let Mithra be destroyed."

"But he's so charming…" Lisette said.

"A mask." Alto said. "The kind that comes from dealing with politics for years."

"And how would you know that?" Lisette questioned. "Are your memories returning?"

Alto shook his head. "Not as such, more like I'm recalling situations, but faces are blurry. But one thing I do remember is that anyone who smiles like Klaus is waiting for the opportunity to backstab you."

An uneasy silence fell over the two as Lisette contemplated Alto's warning.

After a few minutes, Lisette spoke up. "Hey, Alto… Thanks."

"Hmm? For what?"

"I said I was ready, but honestly… I was worried." Lisette admitted. "I was really happy you fought by my side, though."

Alto smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

"And as I watched you take your exam, I came to a decision."

"Which was?" Alto asked, curious as to where Lisette was going with this.

A determined look spread across Lisette's face. "I'm going to do everything the best I can." She nodded. "We're new to this so not everything will go perfectly."

' _Well you're new to this, I'm not. But you're right about things not going perfectly._ ' Alto mused.

"But there'd be no reason to be here if I wasn't going to do anything." Lisette continued.

"Very true." Alto nodded. "We'll both have to work hard to keep up around here."

Lisette smiled widely. "Yeah! Let's do it together, Mr. Newbie Knight!" A teasing tone entered her voice.

"I could say the same to you, Ms. Newbie Witch." Alto smirked. "Oh great queen of the purple cooking."

A pout spread over Lisette's face. "Altooooo…" She whined as Alto laughed.

43


	5. Chapter 5: Gearing up and Training

**Chapter 5: Gearing up and Training**

Alto had woken early and meditated as was his custom. After meditating, he had dressed in his new armor. He looked over himself in the large mirror on one of the walls with a critical eye. "Well I'm ready." His expression soured slightly. "But this uniform… is really sad. Is this really what a knight is supposed to wear? Doesn't provide too much protection I'd say." His musing was interrupted as his door opened.

"Good morning, Alto." Lisette said cheerfully. "Commander Klaus is looking-" She stopped as she caught sight of Alto in his current attire. "…!? Wh-What are you wearing!?"

Alto sighed. "Apparently, this is my new uniform. I probably should just wear my old clothes for all the good this get up will do…"

Lisette rapidly waved her arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I just wasn't expecting it… That's your uniform? It suits you perfectly!"

Alto deadpanned at her. "It doesn't and you know it."

"Don't say that… well I guess you're right." Lisette admitted.

"I'll speak to the Queen about either getting some better armor or having some custom made, if I don't do it myself." Alto said. "Now come on, let's go!" With that, the two left Alto's room and headed for the barracks' meeting hall.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **At the Meeting Hall**

Alto entered first. "Good morning!" He said, seeing Rusty and Archibald.

"Hm," Archibald studied Alto. "it appears anyone can look adequate in the proper clothes."

Rusty on the other hand burst out laughing. "Bwahahaha! You're a stunner, Alto!"

Alto glared at the pair. "…You're a riot, laughing boy." He snapped at Rusty. "And these clothes are a disgrace to be called armor. They provide no protection at all. I've got to see about getting some better-" His muttering was cut off as Klaus spoke.

"Ah, Alto, Lisette. Good morning." He looked cheerful, but it seemed strained. He was likely smarting from his reprimand from the Queen about his actions in Mithra. "Today's mission will be to defeat the monsters in the eastern forest." He continued. "Please prepare beforehand. The Royal Capital contains many shops which are quite useful to us knights. I suggest you go introduce yourself, Alto."

Alto nodded curtly. "Yes, sir." His voice bordered on complete sarcasm.

"Rusty, Show him around." Klaus ordered. If he noticed Alto's tone, he made no indication of it.

"I've gotta babysit again…?" Rusty complained. Klaus glared at him and Rusty sighed. "I don't got much of a choice, do I?"

"None at all." Klaus replied.

"Follow me." Rusty exited the hall with Alto in tow.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Lambert: Main Street**

Rusty led Alto to the largest road in the city. "This is the center of Lambert: Main Street."

"Quite a lot of people here. "Alto commented, looking around.

Rusty nodded in agreement. "It surprised me too at first. You'll get used to it soon enough, though."

"So where would you recommend for obtaining supplies?" Alto asked as the pair walked down the street.

"Well, there are two that you've gotta know." Rusty replied. "Bianca's Armory sells weapons, armor, and healing supplies. And Franz Atelier sells jewels called Orbs."

"What good is jewelry to a soldier?" Alto asked, curious as to why Rusty would mention it.

"All armor and weapons have special slots that can have Orbs placed in them." Rusty explained. "Orbs have different effects like strengthening armor or making it lighter or even adding elements to your weapons. I myself have a Storm Orb attached to all my daggers allowing me to enhance their cutting abilities. Archie has a Feather Orb in that gauntlet of his, making it lighter as well as a Blast Orb that allows him to knockback most anything he punches."

' _So THAT'S how he was able to send that knight applicant flying yesterday!_ ' Alto realized. "Amazing!" Was his response. "Do Orbs have any other uses besides combat?" Alto asked.

"Well, yeah." Rusty said. "Pretty much anything you can think of. Some Orbs are used in Mines to give the miners light and run their digging machinery for example. The palace uses them for light and to strengthen the walls."

"Fascinating." Alto said, already planning a special project, especially once he heard that Orbs could be used as a power source.

"They love us at the Armory and Atelier." Rusty said. "Just say you're a knight, and they'll help you out, no problem. Come back once you've finished shopping. I'll be chilling here." Rusty said as he leered at a couple of ladies by an open-air cafe. "But before you go, you should probably take this map in case you get lost in the future." He handed Alto a small scroll.

"Got it." Alto said as he slipped the map into his coat's inner pocket before heading down the street towards the large building with sign that said in bold script _Bianca's Armory_. Under the words there was a symbol of a crossed broadsword and spear.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Bianca's Armory**

A bell tinkled as Alto entered the shop. Alto glanced around the large shop. Weapons of all kinds hung from the walls. Everything from daggers to spears. Alto even noticed a few whips hanging on the walls. Alto's eye was drawn mainly to the swords though, especially the Katanas that were hanging on display racks. Armor stood on display mannequins in many designs. There were a few display cases of what looked to be well made and probably expensive jewelry, necklaces for the most part. Alto also spied a section devoted to labeled bottles, most likely the healing items that Rusty had mentioned. A girl about Alto's age walked up to him smiling. "Welcome!" She said.

She was fairly attractive, with short pale auburn hair, light blue eyes, and fair skin. She wore a white, long-sleeved, button-up blouse with few ruffles that were confined to the button-up area. Over that she wore a long black dress that helped draw attention to her curves, yet showed off no skin. Rather it drew attention to her slim waist and accentuated her high B-Cup bust. She wore black leather boots, feminine in design, on her feet. Around the collar of her blouse, she had a thin blue ribbon tied into a simple, yet classy bow. Hanging from her waist was a small yellow purse. And on her hands, were short, half-finger gloves made of black leather.

"Hm?" The girl looked at him. "There's a face I haven't seen before. Are you a new knight?"

Alto grimaced. "That obvious, huh?"

The girl's face lit up. "That means you'll be a regular from now on!" She smiled brightly. "My name's Bianca. I work here part-time."

Alto raised an eyebrow. "You're a part timer? Then why the name _Bianca's Armory_?"

Bianca's smile didn't waver. "The owner's out traveling the world, so I'm basically running this place. I decided I might as well change the name while I was at it!"

"I see…" Alto said slowly. ' _I don't need to be Force sensitive to forsee a lot of fireworks when the owner gets back._ '

"We've got everything here." Bianca said as she led Alto through the shop. "Weapons, armor, accessories, items… We even buy things like treasure and even parts from monsters."

"Why's that?" Alto asked, wondering why an armory would buy things like that.

"Many parts from monsters and beasts, as well as their tools can be used to make better weapons and potions." Bianca explained.

Alto nodded, that made sense and since monsters couldn't be farmed like livestock, it would be cheaper for Bianca to buy supplies from knights for her suppliers and forgers to make them armor and weapons, than to try and set up a "beast farm".

"Oh!" Bianca exclaimed. "I almost forgot. I have something here that every knight needs." She dragged Alto over to a nearby shelf that had satchels of various sizes.

"What is it?" Alto asked.

"This!" Bianca exclaimed handing Alto a small pouch that had various Orbs embedded in it. "Thanks to recent advancements in Orb theory and technology by Dr. Veronica, we recently managed to create a pouch that's bigger on the inside than the outside and is feather light." Bianca explained to the interested Alto. "Unfortunately, there is a limit to the size what it will hold but it is still more than large enough to hold all of your supplies for long trips."

"What's the limit?" Alto asked, very interested in acquiring this type of pouch.

"Well it can't hold a full sized human." Bianca said. "The Orbs used in it prevent that, and they also prevent living beings from hiding in them, but anything up to six feet by six feet can be stored in these things."

"I imagine that these are only available to the soldiers." Alto stated.

Bianca nodded. "We sell smaller ones to the general public, but these things are great for soldiers on the march."

"I'll take two." Alto said. "I'll also need to get a new sword."

"Well, if you want," Bianca offered after a few seconds of looking thoughtful, "I can give you one of the pouches for free as it's your first time here, and I can knock off the value of your current sword from the new one, but the second pouch will have to be full price."

"Done." Alto said. He had more than enough funds from selling his wolf pelts to the merchants last winter to pay for a new sword, the pouches might have set him back, but it would have been worth it. Thanks to Bianca's deal, he could get the two pouches and the sword without paying too much. And he now had a way to make money by selling monster parts to Bianca. This would supplement his income nicely.

"Great!" Bianca chirped happily. "C'mon over to the register after picking out a new sword."

After a few minutes of searching, Alto had selected a new sword. It was a plain sword with no decoration or distinguishing characteristics aside from the crest of the Regnant Kingdom embossed at the base of the blade just above the guard, but still a much better quality sword than his current one. Alto made his way over to the register and made his purchases.

"Come back soon!" Bianca cheerfully called out behind him as he exited the armory and glanced at his map before heading in the direction of Franz Atelier.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Franz Atelier**

The store had been easy enough to find, thanks to his map. At first glance the outside of the painted white store was on the whole rather unremarkable. It looked like any other jewelry store. But closer inspection would reveal the shop's true nature. Orbs of various shapes and sizes were displayed on the windows. There were a few objects on display with orbs embedded into them, all of them mundane pieces of jewelry such as earrings, necklaces and the like. The shop's sign was in the shape of a generic Orb with the shop's name embossed in silver, written in flowing elegant script.

Entering the shop, Alto ignored the tinkling of the bell announcing his entrance and instead looked around. The interior of the shop was well lit with lamps, revealing multiple wood and glass display cases showcasing more Orb-enhanced jewelry. The counter held a cash register and several smaller display cases. In between two tall display cases set on the wall behind the counter was a door that Alto suspected led to a workshop. Surprisingly, the store was empty save for two people behind the counter: A tall blonde haired man and a young blonde girl. Both looked over at the door at the sound of the bell.

"Welcome." The man said. He was slightly taller than Alto, standing at an even 6 feet in height. His skin was fair, for that matter, Alto had yet to see a dark-skinned person during his time in Mithra and Regnant. The man had light blue eyes that were narrowed, most likely from constantly performing precision engravings. His blond hair, a yellow blond in color, was short and stuck out from under a plain red bandana. A pair of jeweler's glasses were set on top of the bandana. He wore a white tunic shirt and brown pants. Over that he wore an apron that had multiple pockets of various sizes at just below waist level. He had no facial hair and had a warm friendly expression on his face.

"Welcome!" Echoed the little girl at his side. She was without a doubt the man's daughter and looked to be about seven years old. She had long blond hair, the same color and shade as her father, that fell below her shoulders. A small, white bow with red trim sat on the top of her head. She wore a blue dress and a white, short sleeved shirt. Over the shirt, she wore a short cropped blue jacket with a white collar. One hand held her father's, the other clutched a plush toy of a yellow bear with white paws. Overall, she looked quite cute as only a child can achieve.

"Hello." Alto relied. "I was told to come here by a Knight named Rusty."

"Ah," The man said. "a friend of Sir Rusty. I'm Franz, the owner of this shop, and this is my daughter, Rena."

"Nice to meet you!" Rena chirped with a smile.

Alto smiled. "My name's Alto, a new Knight. Nice to meet you, too." He shook hands with both. "Now I'm a new to the city, so if it's not too much trouble could you give me an explanation of these jewels?"

Rena cocked her head. "You've never heard of Orbs?"

Alto shook his head. "No, my village, Mithra, had nothing like these."

"Then allow me to explain." Franz said. "Orbs can have very strange effects. They're commonly called 'Mystery Gems'. Here in the capitol we use them mostly to light fires and sanitize water."

Alto's eyes widened. "Whoa, impressive!" And indeed, it was. Sanitation of water was absolutely vital for any town or city. In his previous life as Revan, there had been more than one campaign won or lost just based on the fact that clean drinkable water was impossible to obtain without abandoning the base. For such a little jewel to be able to sanitize water was nothing short of amazing.

"Me and my papa put Orbs in weapons!" Rena exclaimed.

"Really?" Alto asked.

Franz nodded. "Yes, a weapon with an Orb in it will gain new properties. I placed a Storm Orb in each of Sir Rusty's daggers giving them a Wind element, enhancing their cutting abilities greatly, but at the same time, leaves them very vulnerable to Fire elemental monsters."

Alto nodded, it would make sense as adding wind to fire just makes the fire more powerful.

"Here, as a welcome gift-" Franz held out a pair of Orbs. Carved into one was " _Aim 1_ ' and the other had ' _Attack_ ' carved into it.

"Are you sure!?" Alto asked, taken aback by the store owner's generosity.

"Oh, don't worry yourself over it." Franz said reassuringly. "We have surplus stock at the moment."

"Well if you're sure. Thank you." Alto Said as he took both Orbs.

"This store sells a wide variety of Orbs." Franz stated. "Please, buy whatever you like, then if you would like, I can quickly add the Orbs to your weapons."

"Thank you." Alto said. "Actually, I have a project in mind that could use your expertise."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Franz asked.

"Well, I intend to create a… mechanical golem, I suppose would be the best way to describe it." Alto explained. "I want it to be able to protect my sister in case I'm not around. And Rusty mentioned that Orbs could be used as a power source."

"Ah, I see." Franz said, rubbing his chin in thought. "That would be quite the project. If I could see the blueprints for this machine. It would give me an idea of where to start."

Alto nodded. "I'll draw them up and bring you a copy. Incidentally, would you know of anyone in Lambert who sells electronics."

Franz frowned at that. "Unfortunately, the only supplier of those that I can think of would be Ewan Inc. But they don't have an outpost in Lambert yet."

"I see." Alto frowned slightly. "Well, thank you for the information. Could you please add the ' _Attack_ ; Orb to my sword?"

Franz smiled and beaconed Alto to follow him into the workshop. "Certainly, I'll show you how to do it so when you're out in the field you can change the Orbs in your weapons, It's a relatively simple process…"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A Few Minutes Later…**

Alto exited Franz Atelier, quite satisfied with his new knowledge. He made his way back to Rusty who was lounging at the café sipping a drink, likely alcoholic by the smell.

"All right." Rusty said as Alto drew close. "I've got the hang of this babysitting gig now. Next-" A loud chatter from a long line going into the next store interrupted him.

Alto glanced over to the source of the commotion. "What store is that? The line's huge…"

"That's the biggest pastry shop in the whole damn city." Rusty explained. "It recently got a killer review in this famous guidebook called _Mr. X's Just Deserts_. So now everybody wants to go there."

"I see." Alto mused. "Seems like the people here aren't all that concerned with the crystallization that's been going on."

Rusty nodded. "Yeah. The people here are still oblivious to the danger outside."

' _Hmm._ ' Alto thought to himself. ' _It might be more difficult than I originally anticipated to get the public against Klaus if they don't even know what is going on. But it might be easier too if the first thing they hear is that the Military Commander has been_ LETTING _Hilda crystalize over 1/3 of the kingdom._ ' Rusty's voice broke Alto from his thoughts.

"Well, look at the time." Alto followed Rusty's gaze to a large, tall tower clock in the square. "We should probably check in with the commander at the city gates so we can head out."

Alto nodded. "Right."

With that, the pair headed towards the city gates.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Lambert City Gates…**

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Alto said to Lisette as he and Rusty approached.

"Not a problem." Klaus said. "Have you finished your preparations?"

"Y-Yes… I think…" Lisette stuttered. Alto grasped her hand to give her reassurance.

"The eastern forest is close by." Klaus explained. "I would like to set out. But first… Lisette, Alto are you mentally ready?"

"I am!" Lisette declared.

"As am I" Alto said.

"She looks like she's scared to death." Rusty muttered. "By the way, Alto- In this knight's squad, newbies gotta carry their superiors' bags for them." He smirked. "Today I'll give you the honor of taking mine."

Alto just looked at him with a deadpan stare. "You're joking, right?"

"Rusty, you should not lie to your peers." Klaus reprimanded the laid-back knight.

"C'mon, it was just a little joke." Rusty said.

"If you wish to tell a joke, you should at least tell a funny one." Archibald commented.

"You wouldn't know funny if it hit you in the face. "Rusty snarked. "Not even naked girls can make you smile."

Alto glared at Rusty as Archibald sputtered. "N-Naked!? Excuse you! We are in the presence of a lady!"

Lisette snorted and started laughing.

"Hey, she laughed!" Rusty smirked.

Archibald was not amused. "You… How can this regiment hold themselves with pride and honor while you are around?"

"Sheesh." Rusty said. "I was just lightening the mood a bit! You know, to make 'em feel welcome."

"Is this really going to be OK…?" Alto wondered aloud with a sweatdrop.

Klaus sighed. "Those two are complete opposites. However, they are both extraordinarily dependable."

"If you say so." Alto said, not at all reassured, especially when it was Klaus trying to do the reassuring.

"Well then," Klaus said loudly, drawing all attention to him. "let us depart. Everyone, keep your guard up!"

Everyone responded in the affirmative as they followed Klaus out the gates and down the road to the eastern forest.

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 **Eastern Forest…**

The trip only took the group two hours to make. Once they entered the forest, Klaus led them to an area with a small stream and some small cliffs.

"This is the location we received reports from." Klaus said.

Just as the words left his mouth. The group spotted several monsters coming out of the foliage at different locations. A few Orcs and what appeared to be several Goblins that were carrying very crude bows. They were short creatures with green skin, a mouth full of pointed teeth, short white hair, and had only loincloths for clothes. Along with crude quivers slung on their backs.

"Wow, looks like they're happy to see us." Rusty commented.

"There are so many monsters…" Lisette said with wide eyes. "And only a few of us."

"Alto, Lisette." Klaus said. "If you feel danger upon you, retreat immediately. This is a real battle. If you let your guard down, you very well may lose your life."

Alto nodded, it was after all sound advice, if a bit useless to him.

"Y-Yes, Sir!" Lisette replied.

"Let's go." Alto said, drawing his sword.

"Hey, I'm digging that can-do attitude!" Rusty said. "Sounds good to me- You work hard while I sit back and relax." A quick glare from Klaus put the kibosh on that plan.

"Our mission is to eliminate the monsters of the eastern forest in this area and make it safe for travel." Klaus declared. "Everyone, battle formations!"

Klaus readied his spear, while Rusty drew his daggers and Archibald readied his giant gauntlet. Lisette held her staff in front of her slightly nervous. Alto, seeing this, stepped beside her.

"Lisette, stay close to me. Just like we fought in Mithra." Alto said.

"R-Right." Lisette said.

"Alto, you Rusty, and Lisette handle that group." Klaus said, pointing to the group of three Goblins and a single Orc that were moving across the shallow stream. "Archibald and I will handle the other." Klaus indicated a group of three Orcs and two Goblins making their way down the small cliff side.

"Right." Alto, Lisette, and Rusty nodded as they turned to face their opponents. Rusty shot forward, towards the archers dodging the arrows from the Goblins with ease. Alto and Lisette used the distraction to advance on the Orc. Lisette swung her staff and a small ball of water formed before launching at the Orc. This time however, her attack was severely underpowered. Instead of killing the Orc, her attack struck with only enough force to knock the Orc off balance. However, this was more than enough of an opening for Alto to move in and cut off the Orc's right hand, the hand holding its club. The Orc only managed to howl in pain before Alto drove his blade through the monster's heart, ending its life.

Alto and Lisette then turned to aid Rusty, who by then had killed one of the three Goblins. He was alternating between yelling out taunts, dodging arrows, and throwing knives at each Goblin. Alto charged with a yell, drawing the attention of one of the Goblins. It started shooting arrows at Alto. Now the arrows might have been crudely made, but there were a lot of them. Alto was shocked at the number of arrows that one creature could shoot and this cost him valuable time needed to get out of the way. He moved to dodge, knowing that at least one of the projectiles would hit him, but he needn't have bothered. A wall of water rose up in front of him from the stream, preventing the arrows from reaching him before it collapsed. It seemed as though Lisette was becoming accustomed to her new powers, but She would definitely need practice. The Goblin stared stupidly at the pair, an odd look of confusion on its face. It still had that same look as Lisette sent another powerful stream of water at the monster. It quickly became apparent that Goblins were much frailer than Orcs, as the pressurized water punched a fist sized hole in its chest. The dying Goblin fell on its back gurgling as one of its lungs had been torn to shreds. Alto moved to it quickly, but cautiously and decapitated it, ensuring that the monster was really dead.

Both teens looked over to Rusty to see if he needed help, but it was not necessary. In the time that it took them to take out their opponent, Rusty had used the reprieve from only having a single opponent to worry about to launch one of his daggers at the Goblin. The dagger had pierced the monster's chest and apparently, its heart. Rusty had retrieved his weapons and was moving back to the two teens. Alto nodded to the older man before turning to see if Klaus and Archibald needed assistance. It was clear that no help was needed as they saw Klaus skewering the last Goblin on his spear, while Archibald was retracting the spike on his gauntlet from the dead body of one of the Orcs; it's chest was completely crushed inward and blood flowed from the puncture wound made by the knuckle spike. The two soldiers made their way over to the others.

"Mission complete! All units, return from the battleground!" Klaus said.

Lisette let out a sigh. "I'm so tired…"

"Good job out there, you guys!" Rusty said to the two newest members of the squad.

"That went quicker than expected." Archibald commented. "That was quite impressive for a first battle you two."

"Seriously, that was Awesome, Alto!" Rusty grinned. "I got to goof off thanks to you!" He put an arm around Alto and squeezed.

"Hrgh… Rusty… you're… choking me…" Alto gasped out, trying to free himself.

"You have great potential." Archibald said with a large smile. "You will only improve with experience."

"Really?" Lisette looked happy at the praise.

"Not bad for a first timer. Impressive work, Lisette." Klaus said.

"I was sort of useless." Lisette mumbled with a blush on her face.

"Not true." Alto said. "That water shield of yours saved me from those arrows. You just need practice."

"That was really freakin' cool!" Rusty crowed. "Magic's amazing!"

"R-Really?" Lisette looked a little overwhelmed at the praise.

"It is extremely reassuring to have someone like you in battle with us." Archibald commented.

"I'm so glad!" Lisette smiled.

"Both of you, very well done." Klaus said. "That is all for today's mission. Our expedition to find the Witches will begin tomorrow. Prepare well."

Alto nodded before going over to the corpses and started looking through them.

"What are you doing, Alto?" Lisette asked.

"Bianca at the armory mentioned that they buy monster parts and weapons in order to make things such as healing potions and other such things." Alto said.

"He's right, Lisette." Klaus confirmed. "Actually, it's a common practice for Knights to do this. Monsters occasionally have valuables that they've taken from their victims. Goblin ears are usually made into pouches and Orc teeth are ingredients in many healing potions. In fact, we should all gather what spoils we can and take them to the armory."

"The extra income doesn't hurt either." Rusty said as the group started to scavenge the corpses, putting their spoils into their Orb expanded pouches.

Once they had collected what spoils they could, Klaus announced. "Now then, Let us return to the Capital."

So, saying the five headed back to Lambert.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Lambert City Gates…**

"Well then," Klaus said as the group reentered the city. "We shall disband for the day." He turned to his subordinates. "Our next mission begins tomorrow. Rest well."

"Yes Sir!" Archibald saluted. With that the two left.

"All right, I'm off to find me some ladies." Rusty grinned a grin that Alto had only seen on perverts in his past life. Particularly the people who visited Zeltron. "See ya later, Alto."

"Yeah…" Alto said, a little put out by Rusty's behavior as Rusty left, Leaving Alto and Lisette alone. "Suddenly I feel tired." He had a feeling that dealing with Rusty's behavior on a daily basis would produce many a headache, and that wasn't taking into account dealing with Klaus and his other plans.

"Me too…" Lisette sighed out, no doubt exhausted from the fighting and walking. "My muscles are really sore."

"We should get to bed early, then. "I'm going to sell the spoils, then head back to my room. Want to come along?"

"Okay." Lisette replied. And with that, the pair set off down the road heading for the Armory.

After introducing Lisette to Bianca, Alto sold his spoils and purchased two low grade healing potions, putting the rest of his money away. Lisette just sold her spoils and left, saying that she wanted to head to Franz Atelier to look at a few Orbs before going to bed.

Alto headed back to his room where he removed his armor and sat down at the small desk and began making multiple sketches of the project he had in mind.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Later that night…**

Lisette had joined Alto in his room. Upon hearing her knock, Alto had put the partially don sketches away, not wanting his project known yet. Lisette had brought refreshments and the two were enjoying them.

"Ahhh, that hits the spot-" Lisette said as she finished her tea.

"Come on, Lisette." Alto ribbed. "You sound like some old drunk guy at a bar."

"But this milk tea is so good." Lisette sighed out. "I always want something sweet after I exercise."

"Well we did put in a hard day's work today." Alto said. "Speaking of which. You'll need to practice you're magic in order to make it more effective in combat."

Lisette nodded. "Practice does make perfect."

Alto nodded. "Exactly. We'll put a schedule together soon. Oh, yeah! I almost forgot…" Alto showed Lisette a purchase he had made just before going back to his room.

Lisette gasped at the sight. "Ah! Shortbread cookies from the Regendorgen Bakery!?"

"I remember you said that you wanted to try pastries from the capital." Alto shrugged. "Well, I saw these when I was out earlier, so I brought some back."

"C-Can I really have them!?" Lisette's eyes were wide. Alto swore he saw them twinkle. "I've wanted to try these ever since I saw them in _Mr. X's Just Desserts_!"

Alto smiled. "Let's eat before they get stale."

Lisette nodded vigorously. "Mhm! Let me try one now…"

"All right, I'll have one too." Alto said as they both started eating the snacks.

"I-It's delicious!" Lisette exclaimed. "Mr. X is really strict, but he gave this bakery five stars! I can see why!"

"Hm?" Alto asked. "Are these really different from the ones that you make?"

"What do you mean?" Lisette aske, scandalized. "They're like night and day!" She sighed in ecstasy. "I'm sure they only use the best butter and flour…"

"Besides the color, I can't tell the difference…" Alto commented.

Lisette glared at him like he had said something against nature. "Fine, Alto. No more for you! I'll eat the rest myself."

Alto shrugged. "That's OK. I did buy them for you after all."

Lisette giggled. "Thanks. But… why?"

"Well…" Alto said. "Life's been pretty crazy lately. We haven't had any time to relax. So, I thought you might want to munch on something to de-stress."

"You say that now, but you're just going to tease me and call me fat." Lisette glared.

"Ergh…" Alto fidgeted under her harsh glare.

Lisette's glare evaporated. "Really though… thanks. It's not quite stress, but I was definitely nervous." She sighed. "This is my first chance to stop and take a breath since this all began."

"I see… I'm glad." Alto smiled. "Anyway, the other people in the 9th Regiment sure are strange."

Lisette nodded. "Yeah. I thought Knights would be serious and almost saint-like. But Archibald is the only one who fits that stereotype, even if he's a little weird. Rusty is all over the place. And Klaus is…"

Alto nodded. "Be very cautious around him. He'll try to act like someone you can trust, but always have your guard up. He's up to something, I don't know what yet, but we'll find out."

"Should we warn the others about him?" Lisette asked.

"If you mean the soldiers, then no." Alto shook his head. "They can't see past his mask and he's spent a long time cultivating it. But we should definitely warn the other Witches when we have the chance. I'd rather have powerful magic users with us than against us. But for now, we keep our ears and eyes open. I'll start spreading word of his actions in Mithra anonymously and start getting people to question him. Hopefully it will prevent whatever it is he is planning. It might even force him to reveal himself prematurely and oust him. But keep your wits about you. Rusty and Archibald are unknowns for now. Hopefully we can convince them."

Lisette nodded. "Mhm! But they both seem like good people."

Alto nodded. "I think so, too."

Lisette's expression turned serious. "We're finally going to start looking for the other Witches tomorrow…"

Alto nodded with a small smile. "Yeah. Let's finish this and get to bed. Tomorrow's another early day."

Lisette smiled. "Yeah…!" She started to munch on the rest of the cookies. "Let's do our best tomorrow, Alto!"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A little while later…**

As Lisette left Alto's room, she stopped. "Oh, that's right."

"Hm? What's up?" Alto asked.

"I want you to have this." Lisette said handing Alto a small ring.

"What's this?" Alto asked.

"I found a rare stone earlier, so I had it made for you." Lisette said.

"Wh-What?" Alto still was confused.

"Back when those black flames surrounded me in Mithra…" Lisette explained. "I don't really remember, but I'm pretty sure I heard your voice." Lisette smiled. "I know now that you were the one who kept me connected to reality… This is just a way to show my appreciation."

"I see…" Alto mused. "Thank you, Lisette. I'll cherish it." Alto slipped the ring onto his right hand's third finger. Instantly, he felt his aches wash away; the ring likely had healing properties, making it even more valuable.

"Mhm." Lisette said. "Well… good night, then. For real this time."

"Good night, Lisette." Alto replied as she walked down the hallway towards her room.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **A small town far to the east of Lambert…**

"Ahahahaha!" A young girl laughed joyously as the town burned around her. She wore pink clothes that made her look like a rabbit. It consisted of black shoes and pink stripped stockings. She wore pink shorts and a short pink dress with a large hooded short pink cape with black fur trim. The hood looked like a demented rabbit. The hood of the outfit was up, obscuring her face, but short, cyan colored hair could be seen peeking out from under it. There was a skull charm with large X's for eyes on the left side of the hood from which a short chain with a gold stylized charm of a witch carrying a scythe dangled. She wore very large oversized white gloves on her hands in which she carried a chainsaw.

"All these dirty old guys begging for their lives are so funny!" The girl said.

"Stop messing around." A gruff voice ordered from behind the girl. "Killing people is not our goal here." The owner of the voice was an older man with short darkened blond hair and a short-cropped beard. He had dark blue eyes and a stern expression on his aged face. He was a bear of a man, standing at six and a half feet in height with a broad muscles physique. He wore a black overcoat and white armor, trimmed with gold. Large, thick chains wrapped around his upper arms, connecting his shoulder armor to his large armored gauntlets. On his feet were armored boots. On the lapel of his coat was the same charm that the girl had. Completing the picture was the absolutely massive black war axe he carried over one shoulder with ease, showing off his considerable strength. It was a wicked weapon; the primary color was black but the edges were grey. Its edges gleamed in the glow from the firelight.

"But Hilda said I could kill anyone who fought back, you know?" The girl whined. "They're real dumb-dumbs! We're just gonna pretty them up a bit!"

The man nodded. "In that case, do not allow a single one to escape."

"Yeah, yeah! I get it, Beardy!" The girl said, hefting her weapon. A few minutes later the pair had the only exit from the town blocked, preventing the still living townspeople from fleeing the buring town.

"All right." The girl cheered. "The whole town's sealed! Just gotta wait for Hilda's song!"

"Hm." The man mused. "Those two should be here by now."

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Hilda's voice came from behind the two. The pair turned to see Hilda and Dante walking towards them.

"Hilda!' The young girl cheered.

"Dorothy. Hrodulf. Well done." Hilda said as she stood next to the pair.

"One, two, three…" Dante counted. "Damn it, Dorothy, did you leave any alive?"

Dorothy shrugged. "They kept flinging spears around like annoying little mosquitoes."

"Everyone is accounted for." Hrodulf stated. "Those who are not dead are in dream land."

Dorothy started hopping up and down excitedly. "Hey Hilda, lemme hear your song! I wanna see these dirty people turn into pretty jewels!"

"Jewels, huh?" Dante mused, his eyes on the blaze. "I guess the way we trap them is almost like amber."

"Others will come for us soon." Hrodulf cautioned. "Hilda, we must hurry."

"Right." Hilda nodded. "Then I'll begin. All of you, patrol the area."

"Understood." Dante replied. "Nobody's gonna interrupt you this time."

"I won't let anyone get in my way." Hilda stated. "Not until the whole world has been filled with my song…" So saying, Hilda began to sing.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Lambert Castle Audience Chamber…**

A soldier ran up to the queen. "Your Majesty! The Nolan Village of Vaihen has been crystalized!"

"Another one…!" Regent Elmar gasped.

"Make haste! Rescue any survivors!" The queen ordered.

The soldier bowed. "My deepest apologies, Your Majesty. There are none remaining…"

The queen let out a pained sigh. "How horrible…"

"Well done, soldier." Commander Klaus said. "You should go rest."

"Sir! Yes, Sir!" The messenger saluted and left.

"That is the third one this month. They are truly gaining momentum." Elmar stated, glaring at Klaus.

"I've heard there are even followers hiding here in the capital." Klaus stated, not looking at the regent.

"Indeed. We do not have much time." Anastasia said. "Knight of the 9th Regiment… I am counting on you!"

Klaus bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Anastasia glared at Klaus. "Be warned Commander. In light of your actions at Mithra, I am putting you on probation. Should anything like Mithra happen again. I will have no choice but to relieve you of your command. I had half a mind to execute you for that stunt! Am I clear Commander?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." Klaus said through gritted teeth and strode from the Audience Chamber, a small sneer on his lips.

Anastasia's glare only lessened once Klaus was gone. With a sigh, she reclined back against her throne. "I still can't believe that he did that."

"I know, Your Majesty." Elmar nodded. "But the soldiers have confirmed the boy's story. Klaus did indeed order them to wait until after the Witch had finished singing before launching their attack."

"But why would he do it?" The queen moaned.

"I don't know, Your Majesty." Elmar frowned. "It would be best to keep an extra close eye on the 9th Regiment to ensure that something like Mithra doesn't happen again."

Queen Anastasia only nodded and closed her eyes, a sad look marring her beautiful face.

25


End file.
